Malum Morsus
by swirlheart
Summary: Ichigo runs into Linnette for a third time and have to work together to solve a problem. The issue? Some Soul Reapers have become traitors and plan on taking over the Soul Society ruling alongside Hollows! And even more are joining! This is war! R&R plz.
1. Chapter 1

**Malum Morsus**

I don't own Bleach. I only own my OCs: Linnette, Victor and Cedric. That's it. Everything and everyone else belongs to Tite Kubo. Hope you enjoy!

**Chapter 1:**

"Alright, everyone! We'll be there in about ten minutes. When we get there, I want everyone to stay together. We're going to check in at the hotel first. No one goes anywhere without a room key. Keep it on you at all times. Do not lose it."

Ichigo's class was on a fieldtrip to New York city. Every class in high school had to make a trip to America before graduation. This year, his class was picked. It was better to get it over with early before they became too busy with studying and tests in later years when graduation was just around the corner. They got up very early that morning and got on a bus which left at 5:00am sharp. From there, the class went to the airport. It was a pain and took forever, but it was worth it to see Uryu have to strip down then and there because his Quincy gear, watch, glasses, belt and coins kept setting off the metal detectors. Afterwards, they got on the plane. Still very early, most of the students slept or put on headphones. Ichigo was one of them. He slept through most of the trip, seated next to Chad and right behind Orihime and Tatsuki. He woke up about an hour or so before they landed. By that time, most of the class was up and talking excitedly about the trip. Once they retrieved their bags, they got on yet another bus into the city.

On the bus, their teacher handed out small translation books. "Now I know I told you all to study your English, but based on some of the test scores I've seen, I think everyone should have one of these just in case to help you out."

Ichigo took one and put in in his pocket. He wasn't planning on talking to too many people here, but sometimes it was unavoidable. He stared out the window, looking out over the water as they went over the bridge. There were boats everywhere, of all sizes.

The bus slowed to a crawl. The students heard the loud bustling and honking of city life. It was loud here. Ichigo didn't like the city. He enjoyed a quiet life a lot better. But even he was a little excited to be here. All the lights and movement and colors was getting him pumped.

Finally the bus stopped in front of a large hotel and the doors opened. Their teacher stepped off first, doing a head count as the students got off one by one. They took their bags and went inside the grand hotel. They stood in the lobby for a half hour while their teacher got everything set and sent them up to find their rooms, handing everyone a card key.

The elevators were packed and there was a large crowd waiting so a few of them decided to take the stairs instead. Keigo tried to race everyone to his floor, tripping on the fifth stair. They made it to their floor and opened the door to the carpeted hallway. They saw some of their classmates already there, looking for their rooms. Ichigo, Uryu and Chad had to share a room. Girls had to remain together and there was an odd number of male students. Meaning of course that two of them had to share a bed.

They opened the door to their room and pushed their way inside. There were two queen sized beds, two dressers, a desk, two armchairs and a bathroom. Ichigo picked the bed closest to the window, opening the curtain. They were so high off the ground, looking down at the street from the 12th floor. But so many of the buildings were still towering over them. He turned back to the bed conflict.

All three of them stood in front of the only two beds in the room. Chad didn't mind sharing with either of them. The problem was that he was so much bigger than either of them and took up a whole bed, leaving no room for a second person. He set his bag in front of the bed on the right, sitting down and testing it out. There was no room for a second. That left Ichigo and Uryu sharing a bed, something neither one of them was pleased about. Glaring at each other, they set their things down on opposite sides of the bed.

Once settled in, they were told to meet back down in the lobby for a reminder of the rules and to organize their activity. Their teacher lead them around the city, pointing out landmarks and doing a quick run-through of American history. The class followed her around the crowed busy streets, no one bothering to get out of their way. Even though this was America, there were many people speaking different languages. All the streets were numbered so it was easy for them not to get too lost. But being the city, the class found it difficult to hear what their teacher was saying as they walked.

They finally came to a stop in front of a library for a short rest. There, their teacher gave them some interesting news. "Remember these streets and the books I handed out to you, because tomorrow I'm turning you loose to explore on your own. Make sure you can find your way back to the hotel and stay out of trouble."

Everyone got very excited about this. Orihime and the other girls were already planning a shopping trip. Ichigo glanced around at the buildings surrounding them. He didn't see anything that caught his interest. There wasn't really any place he wanted to go. Even with the book and his English classes, he still could barely speak the language. He took a seat beside a stone lion outside the library for a rest.

"What do you think, Ichigo?" Keigo came up to him, very excited. "Going shopping and picking up souvenirs for your family?"

"I don't know…"

"I sure am! But you have to speak English at the shops so they'll understand you. I can do it no problem. I've been practicing! Watch…" Keigo spoke something in English Ichigo couldn't understand. "See? What'd I tell you? I'm the master!"

Pushing up his glasses, Uryu poked his head beside Keigo's to correct him. "Actually, that was horrible. Your grammar was completely off."

"It was?"

"Just what were you trying to say?"

"I think I said 'this city is so big and awesome I can't wait to buy stuff for my family'. Wasn't that right?"

Uryu shook his head. "It came out as 'big city awesome family things to buy for what I need to go'."

"I was that off?" Keigo hung his head in shame. "I'm such a total loser! Here I thought I had it down!"

Ichigo rolled his eyes, though he knew he couldn't do much better himself.

Later that evening, they stopped at a courtyard just outside the hotel to get dinner. After everyone was full, they returned to their rooms for the night. When Ichigo had finished his shower, he stepped out of the bathroom to find Chad and Uryu talking and making plans for tomorrow.

"The teacher said to be up by 6:00 am so we'll have plenty of time."

"Yes, but she was turning us free just before noon, she said. She wanted to show us around a little more before she let us wander off on our own."

"So how long do you think we'll have?"

"Who knows?"

The time on the digital clock on the end table read 10:30 in red numbers. Time for bed. Chad got into his own bed, taking up nearly the whole thing. Ichigo and Uryu looked at each other. They were less than happy about this arrangement but there was nothing they could do. Every other room was full and they couldn't bring a cot in. Even if they were allowed one, their teacher refused, claiming that there was no reason why two thin boys couldn't share a large bed for a couple of nights.

Uryu moved first, going around the right side of the bed. He peeled back the covers. "This is my side," he said. Ichigo moved around to the other side of the bed, closest to the window. He pulled up the covers, but Uryu slapped them back down. "To make sure our bodies don't touch, I sleep under the covers and you sleep on top of them.

"What?"

"I get cold at night."

"So do I!"

"Relax, you have the comforter. You'll just be sleeping without the sheets."

Ichigo muttered the word 'bastard' under his breath before climbing in to bed. He did as he was told, not wanting to make contact with Uryu either. Keeping as far away from each other as possible, the two laid down in bed right on the ends, their bodies almost hanging off the edge. They kept their back to each other. He heard Uryu put his glasses on the table between the two beds.

"Ichigo."

"Hm?"

"Move over a little more. I have no room."

The entire center of the bed was empty, a good three feet of space between them.

"You move. I'm falling off the bed."

"That's your problem."

"You're the one taking over all the room, Uryu."

"Are you kidding? I'll put tape down the center of this bed if you want me to."

"We could just put a pillow between us… or you could sleep on the floor."

"And hurt my back? You take the floor."

"I would but I was here first."

"The hell you were."

Chad sighed from his bed in the dark. "This is going to be a long night…"

* * *

><p>The next morning was very peaceful, despite being it the city. The arguments from that night over the bed had all faded away and was resolved in their sleep. Though they had went to bed on opposite sides of the bed, once they had fallen asleep, Ichigo and Uryu had rolled to the center of the bed, bodies attracted to each other's warmth. Now facing each other, Uryu was sleeping with his face in Ichigo's chest using his arm as a pillow, Ichigo's other arm draped over his hip, their legs tangled in each other's. They were very comfortable like this, sleeping away, completely unaware of their current position.<p>

Chad's watch beeped loudly, waking the boys. Chad quickly shut it off, rolling over. Uryu curled into a ball, bring one arm up to his cheek. Ichigo rubbed his face against the pillow, moaning softly. No one wanted to get up yet.

Chad was the first one out of bed, walking over to open the curtains. Light from outside lit up their room. Ichigo turned his head away, hiding in the pillow. Uryu opened his eyes, Ichigo's body eclipsing the sun. Shutting his eyes again, he turned away, back facing Ichigo. Slowly the two woke more fully, stretching and yawning.

"Face the other way when you do that," Uryu said groggily. "You just yawned in my face."

Ichigo rubbed his eyes, still very drowsy. He wanted to go back to sleep. "Sorry… What time is it?"

"6:15," Chad told them.

"Ah… Thanks…"

Uryu went into the bathroom first. "I'm taking a shower."

"But we have to get in there, too! How long are you going to be?"

"Not long. You can wait."

"Selfish little…" Ichigo muttered to himself.

"I heard that."

* * *

><p>By the time everyone was up, ready and had their breakfast, it was already 7:05. Their teacher wanted to start sooner, but she didn't mind too much. She led them outside and started to point out other landmarks that would help them find their way. She also pointed out random maps located everywhere on the street, even the subway.<p>

"Taxis are expensive but you're free to take one if you like. There are also buses you can take and of course the subway. Walking is what everyone else does around here. It may not be the fastest way, but it is cheaper. Just watch out for cars, they don't always stop in this place."

From there, their teacher pointed out shopping centers and malls. There were plenty of small shops lining the streets and stands on the sidewalks. There was a hotdog stand on every corner they passed. There were people selling books and photos and DVDs and clothes on street corners as well. Their teacher took them down another street, grocery stores located between Asian and Mexican restaurants. The class got split up multiple times by people coming in and out, never looking where they were going.

So many people lived here. So many cultures in America. And so many dirty-looking people as well. Didn't these people wash? Other people just looked unkempt. No one seemed to care how they looked. One woman they saw was wearing a shirt that didn't cover all of her chest or stomach. People were shouting in the streets, waving their hands or cell phone. People getting in and out of cars. People with children, people with pets, people pushing carts filled with junk. There were people sitting against buildings, people performing, people taking pictures… This wasn't a place Ichigo wanted to live. Sure, a few people did look good, but this place was anything but quiet or peaceful.

"Ichigo, keep up or we'll leave you behind."

He looked up. His class was getting away. He moved closer to the group. Their teacher stopped to point out something to the class. That's when he heard his name being shouted from the busy sidewalk, away from his class. He didn't know anyone here. Who could have been calling him? It must have been a mistake. He misheard them or it was another Ichigo. There were plenty of Asians in this city. Then again, he never did meet someone who shared his name before.

"Ichigo!"

"Ack!"

Something came flying at him, tackling him in a massive hug. His class turned around, staring. He tried to pry the small person from his body, but they had a solid hold on him.

"Linnette, let go of him. Come away from there."

"Linnette?" Ichigo looked down.

Sure enough, it was the songstress, Linnette. She had grown a little bit since the last time he saw her, though not by too much. She looked less childish, though she sure didn't act it. The thirteen year old girl smiled up at him, her face bright and happy.

"Ichigo, it's been so long! How are you?"

He was at a loss for words. Looking up, he could see his entire class staring at them, openmouthed.

"Ichigo, you know this girl?"

"Uh… sort of…"

"Linnette, please get off of him, sweetie."

She let go, taking a step back. "Sorry. I was just really happy to see you."

Ichigo looked up at the man would called to her. As always, he wasn't far away when Linnette was around. Wearing his trademark white suit and neatly combed blond hair was Victor. He was carrying a couple of grocery bags in his arms, his laidback, well-groomed appearance making him stand out in sea of city people. Even the smoke from dozens of cigarettes didn't take away from his natural beauty. If anything, it made him look more angelic, like grey-white clouds parting to reveal this strong yet gentle man. A guardian angel.

"Victor, look! It's Ichigo! He came!" Linnette was very excited to see him. "Are you here to visit?"

"Uh…" He was still having trouble finding words. "Well, what are you doing here?"

"Shopping for dinner."

"Not quite what I meant…"

"We do live here, you know," Victor said. "Remember?"

He had forgotten. Linnette lived in New York city with her two servants Victor and Cedric. Looking around, Ichigo could tell that Cedric wasn't here. He must have been back at their home.

"Ichigo."

He turned around. His class was still staring at them.

"Do you know these people?"

"Uh… sort of, I guess."

"Who are they?"

Linnette answered for him. "I'm Ichigo's friend!"

Some of the class started to crowed around her.

"She speaks Japanese!"

"Very well, too."

"She's so cute!"

"How old are you?"

"What's your name?"

"How do you know Ichigo?"

"You live around here?"

"Let me try to say it… Hello."

"You idiot…"

Linnette was getting a lot of attention. This gave Ichigo and Victor time to talk, though they didn't have much to say.

"So what's the problem this time?"

"Hm?" Victor gave him a look. "What do you mean by that?"

"It seems that whenever I run into you guys, trouble starts. The last couple of times I meet you, people started turning into Hollows. Is that going to happen again?"

Victor frowned, giving Ichigo a sad look. "You know I gave all that up when I caused Linnette so much pain. I refuse to let it happen again. That's all in the past now. Never again."

"I know you said you were sorry and I believe you. But still…"

"We live a peaceful life here, Ichigo. We have for some time. If you like, you're free to come up and visit. See for yourself?"

"I don't have to. This isn't my town, I'm not worried about anything."

"Then why did you say-?"

"I don't know why I did. It just seems like something happens every time I run into you three. Where is the other guy anyway?"

"Cedric? He's back home."

Linnette said good-bye to the class and went back over to Ichigo and Victor. "Your class is very nice. They all think I'm cute."

"That's very nice, sweetie," Victor smiled.

Tatsuki pushed her way to the front of the group. "So how do you know Ichigo anyway, Linnette?"

"Because of the Hollows and Soul-"

Victor and Ichigo both threw a hand over her mouth. She didn't know that the class had no clue about any of that, save for a choice few.

"Honey, we should let Ichigo get back to his class. We have to get home and prepare dinner anyway. Let's get going."

"Ok." Linnette bounced over to his side, waving her final good-bye to the class. "See you! And Ichigo, please come visit me, ok?"

"Sure…" He just answered. He didn't know for sure or made any promises.

After they left, their teacher went back to leading them around the city.

* * *

><p>So they meet again. I think we know that can only spell trouble, right?<p>

Please review! ^^


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

Shortly before noon, the class was allowed to roam free for the rest of the day, but they had to be back at the hotel no later than 9:00 that night. Everyone went off in different directions. Ichigo found himself wandering around aimlessly through the city. He had nowhere to go and didn't want to go shopping for anything. He ran into so many rude people along his way and a lot of people coming up and talking to him randomly, never knowing what they were saying and having a feeling that he still wouldn't even if he knew the language fluently. The park was the only place peaceful enough for him to go and clear his head for a while.

He sat on a metal chair and watched people play Ping-Pong and Frisbee and people with their animals and small children. He saw couples pass by holding hands or leaning against a tree kissing shamelessly in public. He was bored. He had enough people watching.

That invitation to Linnette's house didn't look too bad right around now. He was curious to see how things were going for her and what kind of life she had here. Only now he had no way to contact her. They left without giving him an address. There was no way he could find her now.

He stood up and started walking again.

"Feeling left out, Ichigo?"

He jumped and turned around. Victor was standing behind him again. "How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Pop out of nowhere like that? It's creepy. Do you know where I am all the time or something?"

"Actually I was coming to find you." He pulled out a slip of paper. "Linnette realized that she had given you no way to contact us and had me go find you to give you that information."

Ichigo beat him to the punch. "Actually, I was wondering if you could just take me there. Save me a lot of work since you're already here and everything."

"You wish to visit us now?"

"Sure, why not?" he said through a sigh.

Victor clapped his hands together. "Wonderful news. Let's get going, then."

He led Ichigo in the direction of a taxi. He allowed Ichigo to go in first. He gave the man the address and pulled out into open traffic before they even had their seatbelts on. It was a rough ride, full of sharp turns and unexpected sudden stops. Even with his seatbelt on, Ichigo was being bucked around all over the place.

They made a sharp turn around a large skyscraper and up a hill. It was a steep hill packed with houses and apartments right up against one another. The further they went, the more the buildings began to spread out. These ones at least had yards that weren't concrete. They made another turn onto another hill, then another turn going straight up a smaller hill. The road inclined, taking them up a long hill, though it wasn't very steep. They climbed up this hill for a few minutes, passing by several houses along the way.

"Almost there, Ichigo."

The hill went on for a while. Ichigo looked out the window, noticing that the apartments had stopped. Now there were only houses and big yards. There was green everywhere. If Ichigo didn't know better, he would say that they were in the suburbs. But looking out the back window, he could see the tall skyscrapers behind them. The city was in their backyard.

They passed by a blue house on the left. After that were trees. Thick trees fencing in a large house with pillars around the door. Neatly trimmed hedges framed the front of the house and there was a stone birdbath in the front yard surrounded by flowers. This house was very big and very clean-looking. It had a long driveway and a one car garage. It wasn't attached to the two-story building that took Ichigo's breath away. It wasn't a mansion but it sure looked like one. Such elegance.

The car stopped and Victor handed the driver the money. He opened the door and got out. "This way, Ichigo."

Ichigo got out. As soon as the door was closed, the taxi sped off. "You live here?"

"Yes. Nice, isn't it? We have some privacy here while still having neighbors close by. It's nice. Let me show you around. Linnette's bound to be very excited."

Ichigo followed him up the stone path to the front door. Victor took out his key and unlocked the door.

"Linnette! I have a surprise for you! Come see!"

Once inside, Ichigo's jaw dropped.

This place was amazing!

A wide open room greeted him warmly with a high ceiling and skylights. Beautiful polished wooden floors reflected his image as he wandered further inside. There was a couch facing the door and two armchairs on either side, all pointed to a coffee table in the center. Potted ferns were set on either side of the front door along with a plastic stand for there shoes. There was a closet adjacent to the front door which also looked well polished. A security system was mounted on the wall beside the closet. Wandering even further, Ichigo noticed that this room also opened up into the kitchen which was sparkling clean and ready to be used. He had never seen so much granite. There was a small table in the corner he guessed they used for breakfast and snacks. There was a dining room to the left of the kitchen, a polished wooden table set for two. Since Victor and Cedric didn't eat, he guessed that the extra place was for him. They must have known he was coming, regardless.

Before he could investigate further, running footsteps got his attention and he looked down. Linnette had reached him in one leap, hugging him tightly around the middle.

"Ichigo! I'm so glad you decided to come! I was hoping you would!"

He patted her head and she let go. "Yeah. So this is where you live, huh?"

"Yup! Come on! I'll show you!" She grabbed his arm and gave him a tour, dragging him all through the house. Her petite body was surprisingly strong.

She showed him around the kitchen first, showing him the island in the middle, all the counter space, the table and the fridge, of course. She then dragged him into the room right of the kitchen. It was a den with a grey colored couch that wrapped around two walls in front of a flat screen TV. There was a lone armchair parked in front of the window, a lamp pointed to it. A bookcase sat behind it, filled with books, knickknacks and pictures. Every photograph had Linnette in it, the only difference were the people accompanying her in the photo. Some were of Victor and Cedric and others were her by herself , then there were ones of her standing with other girls her age which Ichigo guessed were her new friends.

Before he knew it, she had dragged him into another room. This one was the dining room. She showed him the china cabinet and the large sliding glass doors leading to the backyard. Ichigo stood in front of them to look outside. She had a wide-open yard, tall trees wrapping completely around the yard, fencing them in and allowing them privacy for their 'supernatural' play. Flowers and plants lined the outside of the house and there was a small porch, perfect for barbeques. Linnette grabbed his arm and pulled him into a narrow hallway and into another room.

This was a study. The walls were painted a light brown and tan color and there were wooden bookcases lining most of the wall space. The west wall was completely covered with books. On the far end of the study was a computer and desk. Judging from the lack of toys and girly material, this must have been a workspace for the men. Landscape paintings hung on the walls in various places. There was a small chandelier hanging in the center of the ceiling, reflecting light from the window onto books with shiny spines on the bookcases on the east wall. Ichigo guessed that since the two men living here didn't sleep, they must have had plenty of time to kill so they read books to pass the time.

Linnette pulled him back into the hall, through the kitchen and up the stairs to the second floor. The stairs were carpeted a light tan color. At the top of the stairs, Ichigo felt like he had walked into a second foyer. The second floor opened up with much space. Doors lined the walls. Linnette dragged Ichigo to the first one on the right. It was a game room. It was filled with toys and a second computer. This one must have belonged to Linnette. There were boxes filled with computer games and video games. There were bookcases in this room as well, but these shelves held puzzles, board games and other various toys. There was a table in the middle of the room and four chairs. For now it was clear, but Ichigo had a feeling that it wasn't always that way. There were two closets in the room, but Linnette didn't allow Ichigo the time to figure out what was in them. She had dragged him to the room directly across from the playroom. It was a large bathroom with a large white tub and plenty of counter space. Before Ichigo could investigate further, Linnette had pulled him down the hall, now heading back the way they came.

"This is a closet," she pointed to a door as they passed. Then she stopped in front of a small room. "This is where Victor and Cedric stay."

The room was small, but large enough to accommodate two twin beds and a dresser between them. Knowing that they didn't sleep raised question as to why they needed beds. Judging from how new they looked, the beds must not have been used that often. Maybe they had the beds to lay in every now and then. Or perhaps they had them to keep up appearances, like when Linnette's friends came over.

Linnette tugged on Ichigo's arm and pulled him to the last room on that floor. It was the room on the left, facing them. Linnette opened the door and turned on the lights. "This is my room!" she announced proudly.

This room was indeed fitting of her. It was bright and colorful. Judging from the size, they had given her the master bedroom. There were stuffed animals and pillows everywhere. There was a desk in the corner next to a dresser and mirror. She had a large closet with clothes spilling out, no doubt from all the shopping trips she had gone on. She had a bookcase next to a window and a high back armchair in front of it. A lamp stood behind the chair. They faced a large four-poster bed with colorful purple, green, blue and pink blankets and a rainbow of pillows and even more stuffed animals. She had a second dresser on the other side of the bed topped with many more pictures of friends and family and toys and decorations. The drawers were covered with animal and flower stickers and drawings taped to the wood. It suited her perfectly.

"What do you think? Isn't it awesome?"

Giving her a smile, he nodded. "Yes, it's very nice. Very cute."

She took it as a huge compliment and bounced around him. She tugged on his arm and pulled him into the room, holding up each stuffed animal she owned, showing them off. Next she showed him the pictures that were displayed on her dresser, naming all her friends in the photo. To get to the other side of the room, she took a shortcut across her bed, knocking a few pillows down and lifted a rather large stuffed animal up with both arms. The stuffed lion was almost as big as she was. After showing it off, she dropped it to the floor and showed him all the books she had in the bookcase behind the chair. She even opened up her closet to show him all the clothes she had collected.

A voice called from below. Victor was calling them downstairs. Linnette grabbed Ichigo's arm and pulled him downstairs. She pulled him down the steps, almost tripping him and led him into the kitchen. Victor was waiting for them with snacks.

"Thanks, Victor!" Linnette picked up an apple slice with peanut butter on it and handed another one to Ichigo. "Have one!"

He wasn't very hungry but took one anyway.

After that, Linnette begged Ichigo to play some games with her. It was clear that she was starved for attention and was very excited to have him over to her place. Ichigo agreed to play any game she wanted. They played videogames in the den for a couple of hours. After challenging each other in different matches, Linnette shut off the player and started to ask how her guest was doing. She asked Ichigo how things had been and if he missed her at all and what all his friends were up to now.

He usually wasn't very talkative, but somehow found himself talking with her for a good hour and a half. By that time, the sun was starting to set outside the window, painting the room a lovely pink and yellow.

Linnette looked over her shoulder into the kitchen. "Is dinner ready yet?"

"Nearly," Cedric called back.

"What are we having?"

There was a moment's pause. "Since we have a guest, we figured we would order out."

Linnette smiled. "Are we having pizza?"

"Chinese."

"Yes!" She pumped her fist into the air. "Thanks, guys!"

They played a card game together until the order came to the front door. Cedric paid the man and called them into the dining room to eat.

"Can't we eat in the den?" Linnette asked.

Victor pulled out a chair for her. "No. There's no reason why you can't eat in here. Sit down and try to keep your hair back out of the food."

Ichigo was given a seat by the window and handed a cardboard take-out box to eat from and a pair of wooden chopsticks. His family didn't do take-out often so it was a rare treat in his household to have something like this. He ate quietly, keeping a close eye on the others. There was always the possibility of Victor drugging the food again. But seeing the outcome of the last time he tired that, it was safe to say that it was unlikely for him to do it again. Linnette ate her food quickly, picking out all the veggies she didn't like.

"Linnette, eat your veggies," Cedric told her.

"But I don't like them. Not these ones."

She started flicking them with her chopsticks. Victor gently grabbed her hand to hold them still while he put the discarded veggies onto a paper plate. "You should really eat those."

"But I don't like them," she repeated with a whine.

Victor gave her a soft smile. "Fine. If that's how you feel. You don't have to eat them. But if you don't, you won't get any ice cream that I have saved in the freezer."

Her head shot up and gave him a worried look. Needless to say, she started to reluctantly eat her vegetables.

After words, Victor took out the ice cream, as promised. Ichigo was offered some as well. He looked out the window adjacent to the table. It had gotten dark quickly. A thought suddenly occurred to him. It was dark and he was in an unfamiliar city. How was he ever going to find his way back to the hotel?

"It's getting kind of late. I'm better get going…"

"You can stay here and spend the night," Linnette said abruptly. "It's ok, right, Victor?"

He looked apprehensive about the idea. "Well, the choice is up to Ichigo, dear. He has to decide. After all, his class is on a trip."

"Please, Ichigo?" Linnette's big eyes were pleading with his. "Please? It's ok, really. We don't mind. It'll be fun. Like a sleepover."

"Well…" Ichigo gave it a great deal of thought. On the one hand, it was getting dark and there was no way he would find his way back. Besides, the city got a lot more dangerous at night. Plus this way he wouldn't have to share a bed with Uryu. That he was looking forward to. However, he hadn't brought anything with him. "I left all my stuff back at the hotel room, including my clothes."

"That's ok. You can wear one of their outfits."

All three heads swiveled to look at her.

"What? Did I say something wrong? What's the matter?"

Ichigo did not like the idea of wearing anything worn by Victor or Cedric. The feeling seemed to be mutual for them as well. "It's fine. I can wear this to bed and back in the morning so I can get changed. It's ok."

"So you'll spend the night, right?" It was obvious that Linnette truly wanted him to stay.

Seeing more pros than cons, he agreed. "Sure, I'll stay."

"Yes!" Linnette threw her arms into the air with a cheer. "A sleepover with Ichigo!"

Victor grabbed hold of her hand that gripped the spoon and wiped it off with a cloth. "Linnette, sweetie, you're dripping ice cream everywhere. Drop the spoon if you're going to do that."

"Sorry."

The arrangements were made soon after. Ichigo was going to sleep on the couch in the den while Linnette stayed upstairs in her own bedroom. Ichigo was given a spare pillow and blanket to use for the night.

Linnette had already made plans of her own for the evening. It soon became clear that she had never had a boy sleep over at her house before. On the evening's agenda, she was planning on giving each other makeovers using the make up she used only on play dates with her girl friends. Ichigo adamantly refused. It was bad enough when Yuzu was younger and tried to do the same thing to him. It was a real pain to put up with. He drew the line at nail polishing, leaving hair braiding as the only thing left to do on the list. Good thing his spiky orange hair wasn't long enough to braid so the joke was on her. But that didn't stop her from putting ribbons in it.

At 10:00, Victor told Linnette to go up to her room and let Ichigo sleep alone on the couch. She still insisted that they share a room together but that was one thing that neither Victor nor Cedric would allow. Linnette waved goodnight to Ichigo and followed Victor upstairs.

Ichigo looked at the couch with a sigh. It was a lot better than sharing with Uryu, he knew that much at least. There were two unused beds upstairs that belonged to Victor and Cedric, but somehow, he didn't feel right about using either one of them. The couch seemed best. He peeled back the blanket and laid down. The couch was surprisingly comfortable. It was so soft and his whole body seemed to sink into it.

* * *

><p>"Good morning. Sleep well?"<p>

"Huh?" Ichigo opened his eyes slowly. It was morning already? He must have fallen asleep the moment his head hit the pillow. For a moment, he forgot where he was and expected to see the hotel room and Uryu kicking him in the stomach, demanding more room. Instead, he saw the den in Linnette's houseand the grey couch below him. Victor was standing over him. On reflex, Ichigo scrambled up into a sitting position as if Victor was going to do something to him.

Instead, Victor removed the fallen throw pillows from behind Ichigo and lay them across the other side of the couch, away from him, allowing Ichigo to get up easier. "Breakfast in on the table. Linnette will be downstairs in a moment." Victor left the room shortly after, giving Ichigo time to ready himself.

Ichigo went into the kitchen and found Linnette starting to sit down to a bowl of cereal. "Morning!" she waved.

Ichigo waved back, taking a seat across from her. He ruffled his hair and saw a bowl being placed in front of him by Linnette. She was pouring him his own bowl to eat. He ate, checking his watch every now and again. "I should get back to the hotel to change."

"You'll come back, though, right, Ichigo?" she asked.

"Sure. I've got an afternoon to kill. We can meet up in the city, too, if you like. I'm sure you guys will find me. You have a habit of that."

Victor smirked and poured himself a glass of wine.

"You drink that at breakfast?" Ichigo inquired.

"I hate coffee." Victor took a sip of wine. "Besides, I'm incapable of getting drunk, if that's what you're insinuating."

"No, not really."

Linnette tugged at Victor's coat with her free hand. "Jean and I are going to get together today. We made plans yesterday. Is that ok?"

He patted her head. "Yes, that's alright. Do you know what you're doing yet?"

"No, she's calling me after breakfast, she said."

He looked at his own watch. "That's fine. I have to go into the city this morning anyway to check on something. Perhaps I can take Ichigo on the way."

"That's fine. I can walk."

"Really? It's quite some ways away."

"It's ok."

Victor sighed. He knew Ichigo was being stubborn. "I'll call a cab for you anyway. It'll take you back to the city and you can walk there."

Ichigo agreed, meeting him halfway.

"Can I come with you into the city and walk around, Victor?" Linnette asked.

"It might be boring. I'm going on business. But I don't see why not." Victor went over to the phone and dialed a number.

A few minutes later a cab pulled up outside the house and honked. Ichigo gave a quick farewell to Linnette and got in. Victor told him where to go and the cab took off, taking Ichigo back into the city.

* * *

><p>Now the real trouble starts! Please review to find out!<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

The city never calmed. It was always so busy and full of people. Ichigo felt so small walking under all the tall buildings and people pushing past him without a second glance or word of pardon. Just like back home, there were rude people and there were innocent people and ignorant people and quiet people. But unlike at home, everyone was speaking another language. So not everyone spoke English here.

He looked at his watch. It wasn't very late in the morning. This was their last day here in the city. He had to make the most of it. So far, all he had done was walk around and visit Linnette. Nothing very exciting, but nothing he couldn't live with. Inhaling, Ichigo took in the smoky smells of the city, cement and all. New York city had a funny smell to it. It didn't smell like Karakura Town at all. But some smells he did enjoy, like the smell of hot food cooking and salty pretzels. It was making him hungry all over again.

Ichigo paused in the middle of the sidewalk, causing the people behind him to walk around, cursing in annoyance. He was sensing something. Why did it feel like something was about to tear his head off? He looked around. No Hollows. There didn't seem to be any danger here. Perhaps it was just his imagination. Shrugging it off, he started walking again.

"Good morning, Ichigo!"

Reacting on instinct and force of habit, Ichigo bent over forward and sent something flying past him with a single kick of his right leg. He stood up again, puzzled. Every morning he would wake up to that phrase being called out by his father and then get attacked. He reacted as such, even knowing that his father couldn't possibly be in the city with him. It was a reflex.

Even so, who called him? He looked around and saw someone, the person he kicked, getting up out of an alley and leapt at him again. Ichigo stepped aside, unable to see clearly what it was. It was moving too fast. He heard laughter and felt something sharp cut into his arm. His sleeve was torn and he had a small warning cut on his right arm.

It was a threat. He turned around to face it only to get kicked backwards into the alley himself. Landing among the trash cans and boxes, Ichigo twisted his body around to look at what it was. It was still moving too fast to see. Taking out his badge, Ichigo left his body to fight back. He ran out onto the sidewalk. Looking around.

"Over here!" the voice sang. He turned, getting another cut on his right shoulder. More laughter and another cut, this time on his left arm. This guy was toying with him. None of these cuts were doing any real damage to him. "What's wrong? Come on! Show me what you can do!"

Ichigo took a swing at the dark flash he saw racing past him from behind.

"That was pathetic! I cannot believe someone like you could beat Ikkaku."

Ikkaku? This person knew Ikkaku. Come to think of it, this voice did sound familiar.

"Come on, fight!"

Ichigo turned. No one was there.

"Oh… Don't tell me I have to entice you into it. So be it."

Ichigo turned, seeing a windshield suddenly shatter just a few feet away, causing a passing woman to flinch and look widely around. Ichigo's eyes widened when he saw the assailant grab the woman's hair and slammed her into the car. She threw out her arms to protect herself, the glass shards cutting her hands as her attacker increased pressure on her from behind. She couldn't see who it was. This man was invisible to her. Frightened, she started calling for help. The attacker, suddenly threw her to the ground and stomped on her stomach for good measure.

"Stop it!" Ichigo screamed and attack back, swinging his sword at the man's head.

He flashed away and reappeared on a fire escape, knocking over a potted plant on the railing. It shattered on the pavement, not too far from a man coming to the woman's aid. This guy was taking advantage of these humans not being able to see him. Leaping off the fire escape, he landed behind the man and raised his sword as if to cut him down.

"I said stop it!" Ichigo grabbed the man and threw him into the air, stopping the attack from carrying out.

Despite the toss into the air, the attacker was laughing. "Now, that's what I want to see."

Ichigo turned his body, ready. They took their fight into the street, far from the passersby.

In a flash, he saw something being tossed into the air. It was Ichigo's body. Now nothing but an empty shell, there was nothing he could do to protect himself. Cursing, Ichigo leapt into the air to catch his body before it hit. Something cut into his rib, sending blood flying into the air with an upward slice. His attacker kicked Ichigo's body out of the way and onto the sidewalk with a thud.

"This isn't fun yet!" His attacker kicked him in the rib directly over the fresh cut and swung his sword to cut him again. Ichigo blocked then swung back. His attacker flipped over in the air and landed gracefully like a ballerina on top of another car. Wasting no time, he flashed off again, zipping around him like a majestic bird. Even though he couldn't clearly see the man, Ichigo could tell that his movements were powerful as well as beautiful. He carried himself elegantly in battle, but that made him no less of a threat. Ichigo knew he had to stop him, whoever he was.

"Coward!" Ichigo snapped. "Using people like that… How despicable!"

"Coward? Me? Surely you jest." The man started laughing again.

"Stop flashing around laughing and show yourself, damn it!"

The laughing stopped. "Very well, Ichigo."

He felt a tap on the back of his head and knew that the attacker was messing with him again. Using Ichigo as his springboard, the man landed in front of him on bended knee. He slowly straightened up, flipping his jaw-length hair out of his fair, almost feminine face. He tucked a strand behind his ear, being careful not to upset the yellow and red feathers he kept on his lashes and brow. He brushed the dirt from his orange sleeve and lifted his gaze to Ichigo with a sadistic smirk.

Ichigo's jaw dropped. He knew him. As unreal as he seemed, Ichigo knew who this was. But he wasn't certain. After all, this didn't seem like something he would normally do. He seemed curler and more sadistic than usual.

"Yumichika? Is that really you?"

He laughed. "Of course it's me! How could you mistake such a beautiful face?"

"Why are you doing this? What's gotten into you?"

Yumichika ran a finger over his blade. "Why? Because I want to. I feel like it, Ichigo Kurosaki. Is there a problem with that?"

"Of course there is! What the hell's wrong with you?"

With no warning, Yumichika suddenly attacked him. Their blades clashed and Ichigo was forced back. As he leaned forward, trying to push him back, Ichigo noticed something poking out from Yumichika's collar. "What's that on your neck?"

Yumichika seemed puzzled. "What?"

"That thing." It looked a lot like a purple spider web tattooed on his flesh. "What the hell is that?"

Yumichika pushed him away. "Nothing to get distracted about, I'm sure. Are we going to fight or not?" He raised his blade and brought it down.

Ichigo jumped back out of the way. He didn't want to fight him. Then again, it looked like he didn't have much of a choice. He swung back at him. Soon they were swinging wildly at each other. As the fight progressed, both were getting impatient. Ichigo swung at him again and to his surprise, Yumichika blocked with his arm. Fearing he would cut off his hand, Ichigo pulled back on his sword, slowing it before the impact. He managed to cut through Yumichika's sleeve, but not his skin. Smirking, Yumichika swung back, cutting into Ichigo's shoulder. Both jumped aside, examining their wounds.

"Why did you pull back, Ichigo?"

Wiping the blood off his arm, Ichigo answered. "I don't know. I just didn't want to hurt you." It was true. He didn't. He had a gut feeling that this wasn't the real Yumichika, but he also knew that it wasn't an imposter. He didn't want to hurt an innocent person, possibly being controlled from afar.

Yumichika started laughing. "That's the whole point of a fight! It's to hurt the other one! You're a fool!"

"I just know something's wrong with you and it's not worth killing you over!"

Yumichika calmed down, studying Ichigo closely. "Still… You prove to be quite the fighter. You're very strong. But you're hardly worthy…"

"Worthy of what? What are you talking about?"

He smiled, gesturing to the sky with his free hand. "I wish to take over the Soul Society and eliminate all the Soul Reapers in my way. But I need pawns to assist me. It's my plan, but no one can do it alone. I need help."

Ichigo couldn't believe what he was hearing. This couldn't have been the real Yumichika. Where did this come from all of a sudden? "But why would you want to do that? Have you lost your mind? What's taking it over going to get you?"

"Everything I want. Let's just say, I don't like how they're running it. I think it would be much better crawling with Hollows… Don't you?"

"Why the hell would I want that? Why would you want that? You're supposed to fight against Hollows!"

"Let's just say I changed my mind," Yumichika answered. "After a long time of thinking, I came to the conclusion that it would be far better off if Hollows were allowed to do as they pleased without Soul Reapers killing them off. Better for the Hollows, better for me… Hollows have to eat, too, and Soul Reapers are killing them for it. I disagree. Besides, Soul Reapers are given far too much work. I'd prefer to live in peace without the need for paperwork, rules and regulations. I want to be able to do as I please and live alongside the Hollows. They get to do what they want, I get to do what I want… Everybody wins."

"What kind of logic is that?"

He scoffed. "I didn't expect someone like you to understand. Even if we don't see eye to eye on the subject, I can still experiment on you. Let's see what kind of pawn you'll make. I can always kill you when I'm done."

Ichigo's eyes widened. Yumichika raised his left hand, a long stinger coming out of his palm. Licking its tip, he glanced down at Ichigo out of the corner of his eye. Smirking, he dove, his hand outstretched. He was planning on hitting Ichigo with that stinger. He backed up, using his own sword as a shield. It wasn't enough. In a flash, Yumichika had twisted the sword out of Ichigo's grip and tossed it aside. He charged in for the attack. Ichigo had nowhere to go. He tried to shield himself with his arms, though he knew it was futile.

Something wedged itself between Ichigo and Yumichika just as the attack happened. Yumichika's stinger sunk into the wrong person. He looked up surprised. Ichigo's face matched his. Cedric was standing between them, protecting Ichigo from the attack, taking it himself. The stinger was stuck in his stomach. Yumichika pulled it back out, staring at the man.

"What are you? Why don't you bleed?" Yumichika gaped at him. "My toxin didn't even effect you!"

"Toxin?" Ichigo exchanged looks between Cedric and Yumichika. There was poison in that stinger?

Yumichika didn't know what Cedric was. He had no idea that he couldn't bleed or be effected by poison because he wasn't real. He was an artificial person.

Cedric stared him down, never speaking, which seemed to frighten Yumichika off. He backed away, the stinger returning into his flesh. Sheathing his sword, Yumichika jumped into the air and retreated.

Once out of sight, Cedric turned to Ichigo. "Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah…" He was still in a state of shock over the whole thing. "Why did you save me?"

Cedric looked over Ichigo's shoulder. "She asked me to."

He turned and saw Linnette hiding behind a bench with Victor. "Are you ok?" she called to him.

He nodded, waving. "Yeah, I'm fine." He bent down, slipping his body back on.

She came out of hiding along with Victor. "I thought he was a friend of yours. Why was he fighting you?"

"I don't know." Ichigo thought back to the stinger in Yumichika's palm. "I'm not even sure if he was my friend…" He looked at Cedric. "The Yumichika I know doesn't have a stinger in his hand. Something's wrong. I know that was him, but it wasn't. I don't know what's going on. But I have to get back home."

"That may not be the best idea."

"Why not?"

"Because he came _here_. You don't live in this city and he knows that. So why would he come here of all places?"

He had a good point. Yumichika knew nothing about New York and knew that Ichigo didn't live here. Why would he come here? And if he did go back home, Yumichika might attack again while he was gone. And what if it was Ichigo himself that he was after? Going back home would only put his family in danger.

None of this made any sense.

"I have to contact my friends somehow. Kisuke. I have to talk to him. Whenever something weird happens, he usually knows something about it. I have to tell him what happened and see if he can get a hold of Rukia or somebody from the Soul Society."

Victor and Cedric looked at each other. They nodded.

"Alright."

Ichigo looked up. "Alright wha- hey!" Cedric had stepped behind him and picked him up bridal style. Victor did the same to Linnette and both jumped into the air, carrying them off towards the house.

This was Ichigo's first time riding the air with Cedric or anyone for that matter. It was actually kind of scary. He felt like he had no control and that Cedric could drop him at anytime. Not only that, but this was much faster travel than Ichigo was used to. It was the equivalent to a rollercoaster at top speed. Ichigo felt very unstable, even with Cedric's muscular arms wrapped protectively around him. Upon a sudden descend, Ichigo instinctively threw his arms around Cedric's neck, believing he would splatter on the pavement if he didn't. Rather than watch where Cedric was going, Ichigo watched the sky go by instead. It was less nerve-wracking.

The ride was over in the next few minutes when Cedric's feet touched ground again. He set Ichigo down at once. Victor landed Beside them with Linnette. Either Victor was more gentle with her or Linnette was just used to it, because she didn't look bothered at all. There was defiantly trust between them. Victor took out his keys and walked up the stone path towards their home.

Once inside, Ichigo was lead over to a phone in the kitchen. "Use whatever number you need. We'll pay the charges." Thanking them, Ichigo dialed the number. Three rhythmic rings passed before an answer.

"Yeah?"

"Hat-and-clogs!"

"… Ichigo? I thought you were on a trip?"

"I am. We have a problem."

"Oh?"

"I just had a run-in with Yumichika over here."

"In New York city? That seems unlikely."

"Well, it happened. Listen, something's wrong. I think we have a situation."

"What kind of situation? Tell me what happened."

Ichigo started from the beginning. "… and then he started attacking me out of nowhere. He was going on and on about taking over the Soul Society so that Hollows could run free."

"That's odd."

"No kidding. Anyway, here's where it gets weird."

"Weirder than that?"

"Yeah." Ichigo paused trying to think of the best way to put what he saw into words. "When we fought, there was a point where I saw this weird thing on his neck. It looked like a tattoo. It was purple and it looked kind of like a spider web. I'm not sure if he was aware of it or not. He didn't really answer me. Then- this is so creepy- he had this stinger in his palm."

"A what?"

"A stinger. Like a long thin spike sticking out of his hand. He tried to stab me with it, but Cedric protected me."

"Cedric?"

"Yeah, I'm with Linnette at her house right now."

"Is it nice? Their house?"

"Focus! The stinger thing?"

"Yeah, yeah, right. So what happened? Did Cedric get hit with it instead?"

"Yeah. But nothing happened to him."

"No surprise there. He doesn't have an actual anatomy, so it's no wonder it didn't work on him. No marks either?"

"I didn't check. But he seems fine."

There was a pause and muffled speech as Kisuke put his hand over the receiver to talk to someone else in that room. "Sorry. So Yumichika had a stinger in his hand and a tattoo on his neck?"

"Yeah. That's right."

"Hmm… I'm not sure what to tell you. But I don't think that's the real Yumichika."

"I feel the same way, but I know that it is. There's just something wrong with him."

"So it's him but it isn't?"

"Yeah. It's hard to explain. But I'm sure it was the real Yumichika. But the stinger is throwing me off. I know the real one doesn't have that."

"Unless he's being possessed by something. That's a possibility. Sometimes people's physical forms change while possessed by another force, like a Hollow for example."

"So you think a Hollow's doing this?"

"It sounds about right. I mean, the guy was talking about getting rid of all Soul Reapers in order to make room for Hollows."

"But if he's possessed, how is it he knew who I was? He could use his Zanpakuto and everything. And I know I suck at Spiritual Pressure, but his didn't seem any different. The stinger and the tattoo are the only things that are different about him. Other than that, he looks and acts the same. You know, for the most part."

There was a long pause on the other end. "I don't know what to tell you, Ichigo. I could try to get into contact with Rukia and see if she can figure things out on her end and see if anyone else is acting weird. And see if you can get a better look at that tattoo or at least draw a picture for me. If it's not some random thing, it could be a symbol of some kind and could help us out further. Think you can do that for me?"

"Yeah. Hey, listen… Uh, what do you think he's doing here in New York anyway?"

"I'm not sure. Thanks for telling me, though. I'll see what I can do."

"Great."

"And Ichigo."

"Yeah?"

"… I want you to stay where you are."

"Huh?"

"Stay in New York. He might come back. And if I find anything out, I want to be able to contact you. And if you're with Linnette, we may end up needing her help. If both her guardians are immune, then they could be of use to us."

"Makes sense."

"Ok. I'll see what I can do. Be careful." Kisuke hung up.

Ichigo hung up the phone. He stared at the cord for a minute before turning around. Linnette was standing behind him.

"Is everything ok?"

Ichigo was honest with her. "Not really. Something's wrong with one of my friends."

"What is it?"

"We don't know. I called up another friend and he said he'd look into it."

She smiled. "See? Friends are good to have. They help you out, right?"

He grinned back at her childish way of putting things. "Yeah."

Victor went into the kitchen. "Linnette. Is there a snack you would like to have now?"

She shook her head. "I'm going over to Jean's house. Her mom's going to feed me."

He smiled. "So the gathering's at her house this time, hm? When are you going?"

She looked at the clock. "In an hour. I have to get ready!"

"Hurry up, dear."

She hurried off.

"So…" Ichigo said watching her go. "She has human friends now?"

"Yes. She's made a few in these past few months. Jean lives down the street. Their house is smaller, but her family's very nice and she has many friends. Linnette likes going over there because it's different and they're good friends."

"Kids ever come here?"

"Sometimes. Usually after they've had other get-togethers so we know they aren't friends because of the stuff she has."

"Good way to be. And do you guys go with her?"

Victor hesitated a little. "Actually, Linnette has asked that we don't. We did earlier but now she feels better about going by herself. We take her there, but we don't stay. Once we know the family, we feel better about it."

"What do you do when she's not around?" After all, they did live for her.

"Wait for her to come back," Victor told him. "We do cleaning and cooking and everything else needs to be taken care off while she's away. But she always comes back so we're not worried."

"Worried about her getting hurt or never coming back for you?" Ichigo didn't realize it, but that was a sucker punch to the face for Victor. Linnette was getting more independent, which meant less time for them. That was a hard thing for these men to accept.

Victor forced himself to cheer up. "She's still young. She has many years. And whenever she's not with friends, she's with us."

Ichigo had a sudden thought. "Hey, uh… I was just wondering… What happens to you guys? I mean, when… for example, if and when Linnette dies?"

That was hard for Victor to answer in more ways than one. "I would assume that we vanish. Without her around, there's nothing keeping us here."

"What about when she gets married and moves away? Or collage. Are you really going to be with her forever?"

"If that is what she wants. We try not to think about it. It's scary for us. But as she is now and if I know anything about her, we'll be here until her dying day. If she does get married, we'll still be there for her, even if we're not with her. Like parents. I'm sure there will be visits."

Ichigo didn't realize just how hard this was for him. Now he felt bad about asking him these painful questions. "Sorry."

"It's fine." Victor looked back at the phone and then to Ichigo. "So, you'll be staying until your friend calls back?"

"Probably."

"Then make yourself at home. Linnette will be gone so it'll be quiet around here for a while."

Nodding, Ichigo took a seat on the couch and waited. He had nothing to do. This gave him time to sort things out. He kept going over that fight again and again in his mind. That was the real Yumichika, but it was as if he had mutated somehow. This was insane. What had happened on the other side?

Linnette came running down the stairs, her feet thumping on the steps.

"Walk, please, sweetie," Victor told her and she slowed her pace.

At the end of the staircase, she ran over to Ichigo. She had her bag and a jumper on and a short skirt on over it. "What do you think, Ichigo? Is this good for a picnic?"

He glanced up. "Yeah, it's fine."

She turned around, lifting her bag onto her shoulder. "I've got everything I need. Are you going to be ok here?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I'll manage."

"Did you want to come?"

"Can't. How will I answer the phone if I'm not here?"

"Oh, yeah. Forgot." She looked up. "Victor, will you keep him company while I'm gone?"

He nodded. "If that is what you wish."

"Thanks!" She skipped off. "I'm ready, Cedric!"

He nodded and took her hand. "We'll walk there, alright?"

"That's fine."

They went out the door, leaving Ichigo and Victor alone.

It was a time spent in silence for the most part. Victor was the only one making any noise. Ichigo turned around to see what he was doing. He was putting dishes away and taking out others. He turned back around when he heard the door open. Cedric had returned.

"She get there ok?" Victor asked.

Cedric nodded. "They are playing in the side yard with four other girls. One is a local girl Linnette hasn't met before. The others are familiar."

"Good. She has her bag with her, right?"

"Yes."

"Excellent."

Cedric walked towards the dining room. "The weeding needs doing."

"You see to that while I get started on dinner. She'll be back by then. Right?"

"Yes. Her play date's over at 6:00 for dinner." Cedric went out the back door to get the yard work done. Victor went back to his chores.

So this was a typical day for them, was it? They seemed well-organized. Everyone knew their job and what needed to be done. Between the two of them, the house was practically spotless. It took a lot to maintain a house this big. Without the need for sleep or rest, these two must have worked constantly.

After a few minutes, Ichigo heard the sound of food being prepared. He turned around. Victor was wearing an apron and cutting up food to be cooked. The meat had already been ground and set aside for the oven. Curious, Ichigo got up from the couch and went over to the counter. He watched Victor cook without a word.

Victor looked up. "What?"

"Nothing."

He chuckled. "So bored, you'd watch me cook?"

"There's that…" He watched Victor sauté the vegetables in a pan and set it aside while he prepared another dish. The oven dinged just in time for him to put in the meat. "If you guys don't eat, how do you know how to cook?"

"You don't need to eat in order to have a great sans de gout."

"Huh? A what?"

"A sense of taste."

"Yeah, you do. How else would you know how to cook something good-tasting if you don't eat it in order to see if it's any good?"

Victor smiled. "I take it that you don't cook yourself?"

"My sister does."

"That's not enough. Besides, I have tasted food before. It's simply that I don't need to eat. My body doesn't require food."

"But you have eaten before?"

"To keep up appearances in public. People would suspect something if you never eat a thing. I enjoy wine, but that's mostly for the taste. It serves no higher purpose."

"Then I take it that you guys can't get drunk either, right?"

"Of course not."

"Lucky you, depending on who you're asking."

"True, some people do drink for the purpose of plastering themselves. They have no class."

Ichigo sighed. "You certainly are the aristocratic one in the group."

"Linnette wished it so. She always did go for the prince charming type growing up. But behind every prince there is muscle."

"I take it that's Cedric."

"Your call." Victor tossed the contents of one bowl into another without looking. Victor's skill could impress anyone. Even Ichigo was a little impressed. Victor certainly knew how to get attention.

"Do you always wear a suit? Even when you're doing housework?"

"Yes. I have many of the same."

Ichigo nodded once, looking down at the counter.

"You're welcome to anything I have here, Ichigo."

Ichigo picked at a bowl of chopped carrots. "Thanks." When he looked back, he saw a look come over Victor's face. "What? You said I could…"

"Not that." Victor looked as if he were in pain. Ichigo moved closer, concerned. Then Victor whispered a name. "Linnette."

"What?"

Tossing off his apron, Victor jumped over the counter and towards the front door. "Linnette's in danger!"

Ichigo looked out the window at where Cedric should have been. He was long gone, the tools he was using hovering in the air momentarily before falling. Knowing what this meant, Ichigo used his badge to leave his body behind.

* * *

><p>Oh, crap! What now? Please review!<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

"What was that, Linnette?" a girl asked. "Did you just say a boy's name?"

Linnette had just whispered out the names of her servants under her breath, but couldn't let these girls know that. "No. I didn't say anything."

"Ok." They resumed their game.

Linnette on the other hand was looking past them at a man standing in the grass not too far from where they were. Linnette recognized him from before. His name was Yumichika. So far he was just staring at them as they had their picnic. There was something menacing about him, though. That's why she called for them.

"What are you looking at?" her friend Jean asked, turning around. She was looking right at Yumichika but couldn't see him. Linnette was the only one there who could. "What is it?"

"Nothing. Just enjoying the view."

"Oh. Alright."

Another girl started a new conversation. "Hey, guess what? My mom said that she was going to let me date soon."

"Really? When?"

"She said when I was 16."

"That's three yours from now!"

"Still. It's closer than it was last year."

"Do you have your eye on anyone yet?"

"Not yet. The boy I liked before moved away last year."

"Aw, too bad."

"No, it's ok. He had a girlfriend anyway, so I hear."

"Aww, bummer!"

"I like this one boy in our math class. He's really smart and kind of cute. I was thinking of asking him out."

"Go for it, girl!"

The girls started giggling.

Yumichika took a few steps closer, causing Linnette to get up onto her knees. "Hey, why don't we go for a walk?"

"We can't do that. My mom said not to leave the yard."

"Then, let's play tag." She looked back at the man coming closer and closer. "Please? It'll be fun."

Jean looked concerned. "Linnette, what's wrong? Don't you like the food here?"

"No, it's not that. It's just…" Yumichika was right behind her friend. "I just really want to do something. Work off that meal, huh?"

"But we only just started and there's still a lot of food left."

"Yeah, plus this way we can talk."

"That's what you do. Can't talk much if we're running around playing a game."

"I know, but…" Yumichika stood behind Jean's back. "Please? Can we just..?"

Yumichika raised his sword over his head.

"Jean!"

"What?"

Yumichika slashed her from behind, cutting open her blouse.

"Ow! Ahhh!"

"What? What is it? What happened?" The girls all hurried around her.

"Oh, my God, you're bleeding!"

"What happened?"

No one could see the Soul Reaper behind them. The sudden attack came out of nowhere. Linnette tried to warn the others, but none of them knew where the next attack was coming from or who was doing it. Yumichika raised his weapon again, smiling.

"Watch out!"

Another girl was cut on the shoulder. She screamed and held her wounded arm tightly. "What's happening?"

"Run!" Linnette cried. "Run away! Hurry!"

"From what?"

Yumichika grabbed one of the girls by her hair and lifted her up. To the others, it looked like she was levitating. They panicked and screamed. Smiling, Yumichika held her up high, letting her legs dangle.

"Something has my hair! It hurts!"

One of the girls picked up their picnic basket and started swinging it, trying to help their friend. But without a target, she missed with every swing. "Where is it? Where?"

"It's a monster! Help!"

Another girl started throwing punches, all of them aimed too far to the left of where Yumichika stood. This was a one-sided fight considering that no one could see the attacker who could see and touch everyone of them. All except for Linnette.

Wanting to help her friends and knowing that she was the only one who could, she picked up an apple from the blanket and threw it at his head, nailing him. But rather than letting her go, Yumichika decided to throw her by her hair.

Linnette reached out and caught her clumsily. The girl turned back, her eyes filled with tears. She was so frightened. Yumichika started to come after them, slowly, savoring every moment for their fear. On his way over, he kicked aside the apple, rolling it past them. The girl saw this and knew the enemy was coming. She started waving her arms in front of her, trying to bat it away. But Yumichika wasn't close enough yet.

"So stupid…" Yumichika smiled.

"Stay away from us!" Linnette yelled. "Leave us all alone!"

Hearing the noise from the kitchen, Jean's mother went over to the window to see what all the screaming was about. At first, she thought the girls might have just seen a bee, but when they were calling for help, she became worried. She peered outside but saw no one and nothing out of the ordinary. When she heard the girls crying 'monster' she figured that they were only playing a game and dismissed it. In fact, she turned up her cooking show to drown them out and resumed cooking dinner. If there was anything dangerous out there, she would see it.

Unfortunately, they were all in grave danger. Many of the girls thought that their lives were about to end, never knowing who or what their assailant was. They were crying and trying to make sense of it all.

The only who capable of seeing their attacker couldn't reveal that she could. They might have thought she was a freak or blame her for bringing it to them. So Linnette played dumb while trying to help her friends at the same time. "Leave us alone! Go away, you!"

Yumichika snapped his fingers. "What makes you think I came alone? If I leave, will you keep him company?"

A roar sounded and a Hollow came stomping from behind the house. Maybe Yumichika wasn't capable of eating them alive, but the Hollow could and most likely would. Linnette had to get them to safety.

"Guys! Run! Get somewhere safe! Hurry!"

"What is it?"

"Is it a ghost?"

"A monster?"

"I don't know!" Linnette told them. "Just run before something bad happens!"

"I know!" Jean cried. "My garage! It has a steel door on it! It can't get us there!" Jean lead the way. Linnette helped the girl in her arms to her feet and they all followed Jean.

Jean led them around the house and toward their garage… right at the awaiting Hollow. None of them could see the Hollow in front of them and they were heading right for it.

"No! Not-!"

Yumichika cut her off, his sword raised high. He brought it down.

Just in time, Cedric used his own body as a shield, taking Yumichika's attack for Linnette. She looked up and saw Ichigo and Victor running out of the trees down the hill towards them.

"Victor!" She pointed. "The Hollow!"

He spotted the Hollow and the girls heading right for it. "Got it!" He zoomed past them and kicked the Hollow in the neck. The girls ran safely past the Hollow and into the garage.

Yumichika forgot about Linnette and went for Ichigo instead. Cedric stayed with her, watching Yumichika run the other way.

Ichigo got ready, taking out his sword. They clashed. "Yumichika, stop it! Is this really what you want?"

"Of course it is!" He pushed him back. "Why else would I be doing it?"

The Hollow had managed to get past Victor and was preparing to tear down the garage and the house attached to it, with the mother and girls trapped inside.

"No!" Linnette did what came naturally to her. Believing that it would save her friends, knowing what she could do to Hollows, she sang.

Her voice pierced the air, catching the Hollow and anyone else effected by her song.

Ichigo's head rang. _No, not that! Not now! _His Hollow was starting to stir. He pulled away from Yumichika, trying to maintain his sanity. But this gave Yumichika an opening. He could kill or stab Ichigo with that stinger at anytime. Only he didn't. When Ichigo looked up, he noticed Yumichika twitching and staggering. He was holding his head, too. It was as if the song was affecting him as well. But that was impossible, wasn't it? After all, Yumichika wasn't a Hollow or a Vizard.

The Hollow was distracted long enough for Victor to tear it's head clean off and slice it right down the middle. Once Victor had finished what he set out to do, Linnette stopped singing. She closed her mouth and looked over at Ichigo worriedly. She knew she had broken her promised and she knew what her voice did to him. She hoped she would be forgiven.

Ichigo recovered quickly and swung at Yumichika again. Yumichika jumped back, able to move again and glared at him. "I don't know what that was… but I'm not fool enough to stick around to find out, especially when I'm out numbered."

He moved to run away. That's when Ichigo remembered what Kisuke asked him to do. He grabbed Yumichika's collar and jerked it down. The tattoo was exposed and Ichigo made a mental copy of it before Yumichika pulled away, running off.

Cedric started to go after him, but Linnette told him not to.

She went over to Ichigo, looking sad. "I'm sorry I sang in front of you. It's just… I wanted the Hollow to stay away so I…"

He patted her head. "It's ok. You did the right thing. Are they alright?"

Gasping, Linnette ran over to check.

Victor went over to Ichigo and pointed back the way they came. "Did you want to report this to your friend?"

He nodded. He had more to tell him now. A lot more.

* * *

><p>"Whaaaat?" Kisuke said on the other end of the phone. "Why would he do that?"<p>

"Your guess is as good as mine, Hat-and-Clogs. But listen, there's something else. When she sang, Yumichika started to act weird. It was like her song affected him. But that's impossible, right?"

"Not if we want to go back to our theory of him being a Hollow. Listen, I did some research and discovered that there is such a thing as a Hollow virus."

"A what?"

"It's a contagious virus that's demonic. A Hollow can spread it from person to person, giving them Hollow-like tendencies."

"So you're saying that Yumichika's been infected by this virus?"

"Well, yes and no. You see, the virus gives them Hollow tendencies, but it doesn't turn them into Hollows. The fact that Linnette's song had an effect on him gets rid of this possibility. So we have to think along other lines. Have you gotten a closer look at that tattoo of his yet?"

"Uh, yeah, I did. I wrote it down."

"Good. Fax it to me."

"I can do that from here? I've never used a fax before."

"Then give it to one of them and let them take care of it. I'll see what I can do from there."

"Ok, thanks."

"I'll call you back when I find out more. Stay close."

"Wait, have you gotten a hold of Rukia yet?"

"Oh, yes! I did. She said that Yumichika's over there right now. No one's noticed anything yet, but she thinks something's up."

"He's there? That fast?"

"Yup. But she's noting some inconsistencies with him as well. She knows something's up. He's not himself, no matter what the other people in his division think."

"Not very observant are they?"

"I'll call you."

"Ok."

They hung up at the same time. Now to wait.

He turned, nearly bumping into Linnette who was standing behind him. "Oh. Hey. What's up?" She looked sad.

"Um…" She was avoiding his eyes. "Can you forgive me for..? And your…"

"I told you. I'm not mad at you. In fact, doing that actually saved my ass back there. He would have killed me if you didn't. And singing stopped that Hollow so Victor could finish it off. You did the right thing. I know what you meant."

"Yeah, but… It's not that."

"Oh?"

She looked at him. "Why did your friend attack my friends? We didn't do anything."

Ichigo and Kisuke had thought about it, too, over the phone. Kisuke's theory was that, since Yumichika didn't deliver any fatal injuries, meant that he was only trying to scare them. He was having fun, playing with them. Ichigo also had his own idea about things. This time he had gone after Linnette. Was she really the target? No, couldn't have been. It was Ichigo Yumichika attacked first. After that, Kisuke thought that maybe Yumichika was attacking them to flush Ichigo out. Was it all a ploy to get him to come to the rescue only for Yumichika to take him down? It was possible. After all, Yumichika did try to use the stinger on him.

Just what was in that stringer anyway? Was it poison? Was it acid? He called it a toxin.

The phone rang again. Believing it to be Kisuke again, Ichigo answered it without thinking. "Hello?"

A girl's frail voice on the other end answered. "Uh, hello? Linnette?"

He handed it to her. "It's for you."

Linnette took the phone. "Hello? Hi, Jean. What's up?" She paused, listening. Slowly her face turned serious and worried. She took the phone into the dining room, the phone mounted on the wall where kitchen met dining room. She kept her back to the others, listening to her friend. There were long pauses where her friend was speaking on the other end.

Ichigo and the others pressed against the wall, listening as best they could.

"Yeah. Uh-huh… I know… No, I… No. Yeah, it was… I know. Yeah, I didn't think she would… I bet. Huh?… No, no, I- I… What? No, I don't think so. No, it's gone now, I'm sure of it… Yeah. I think Victor chased it off. Nothing else happened, right? Huh?… No… No, I don't think… No, I don't think that you sh- what? No. No, I said that… So he's like that, too, huh?… I'm sorry… Why would she think that? Of course not… I think it's ok now… Yeah, I'm sure of it… Uh-huh… Yeah… Ok. Bye."

She hung up the phone.

"Well?" Victor asked.

Linnette sighed. "Jean's still scared after what happened. She showed her mom the cut on her back and told her that a monster did it, but her mom didn't believe her. She said that they were playing too rough. She thinks her house is haunted now. She wants to move away."

Victor gave her a sympathetic look. "Oh…"

"She told her dad about it, but he wouldn't listen. He said it was all in her head. She's also worried that no one will want to come over anymore."

"Oh, sweetie…" Victor patted her head. "It's ok. Just give her the night to calm down. You'll see."

She smiled weakly at his words.

"In the meantime, how about some dinner? Starving to death won't solve anything."

Now smiling brightly, she went straight into the dining room, sitting at the head of the table.

Feeling his gaze, Ichigo turned, looking at Victor who was staring at him. "What?"

"Sit down. We're feeding you, too." Victor pushed him over to the table and into a chair.

As always, Linnette ate enough food for five people. She was already on her third helping when Ichigo hadn't even finished his first. How in the world did she stay so thin?

After dinner, Linnette sat in front of the TV, watching a cartoon show. Cedric sat with her. Ichigo stood leaning against the door frame, taking glances back at the phone every few minutes. He doubted that Kisuke would call back this soon, though there was always hope. He wished for news, even if it wasn't good. He hated not knowing.

After her program, Linnette was all wound up and wanted to play. She got on Cedric's back and rode him like a horse. Having plenty of space to move around in the high ceiling living room, Cedric flashed away, reappearing on the other side of the house, Linnette laughing all the while. He jumped into the air, touching the ceiling before plummeting back down, Linnette clinging to his neck, still laughing.

"Play dog now!" she told him.

Though smiling, Cedric was shaking his head. "I can't do both."

"Ok, then." Linnette grabbed a stress ball from the coffee table and threw it into the air. "Catch, Victor!"

Leaning a bit to his left, Victor caught the ball in his mouth. He took it out with his hand, grinning softly.

Laughing, Linnette pointed at him. "See? He'll be the dog! Be the dog, Victor!"

"If I must…" Victor got down on his knees and tossed the ball back to her, his arms folded in front of his chest like paws.

"You have to bark."

"Bark, bark."

"Better!"

"Arf! Arf!"

She laughed again. "Fetch!" She threw the ball and Victor caught it in his mouth again, tossing it back. "Be more like a dog! On all fours!"

Smiling and humoring her, Victor did as he was told. Ichigo thought he looked ridiculous. A grown man in a suit acting like a dog. For lack of a better word, Ichigo found it pitiful and embarrassing.

Linnette threw the ball. Victor, this time, jumped into the air, high over everyone's head and back down again. Linnette climbed off Cedric's back and went over to him. "Play keep away!" She tried to get the ball out of his mouth, but Victor growled at her, jerking his head away. She wrapped her hand around it and pulled. Victor pulled back in a playful tug-of-war. Linnette kept laughing, having a great time.

Then a sudden thought occurred to Ichigo. He was on a fieldtrip. He had forgotten that his class was supposed to head back tonight. He couldn't go now. Not with everything going on.

"Hey, guys."

They stopped.

"My class heads back tonight. The bus leaves at 7:00."

They looked at the clock. "It's already 6:47."

"I know. But I don't think I'm going back. I have to stay here. I just need a way to let them know and hope that my teacher lets me."

"There's no way you'll get there in time. Unless you turn into a Soul Reaper. But then your teacher won't be able to see you."

"Right. See the issue?"

Cedric stood up. "It's not an issue. I'll take you. With me, you'll be there in a few short minutes."

"Yeah, but what do I tell her? My teacher won't let me stay without a valid excuse and I need a parent or guardian with me."

"No problem. I'll help with that."

"But the phone…"

Victor got to his feet, brushing himself off. "We'll stay behind, Linnette and I. If there is a call, we will take a message for you. Now you'd better hurry before it's too late to do anything."

Ichigo was actually thankful to them. But there was no time to give his thanks to them now. "Got it. Let's go."

Cedric and Ichigo went out the front door and stood on the stone path. Cedric moved to pick Ichigo up again like before.

"Wait, hang on."

"What's the matter?"

"Is there any way for us to do this with less… embarrassment?"

Cedric stared at him. "You could get on my back."

"Better."

Cedric bent down and Ichigo climbed on top of him, going piggyback style.

"Good luck!" Linnette saw them off at the front door.

They nodded at her. And then kick off.

Cedric shot off like a rocket. Ichigo clung tightly around Cedric's neck, the air rushing and pushing against him, making him feel like he was going to be thrown off. Cedric was incredibly fast. Possibly faster than Ichigo in his bankai form. Everything passed them by in a colorful blur, the wind beating against them like a tidal wave. This was terrible for Ichigo. He was used to moving at such high speeds and being up so high. But then he was the one in control. He was riding Cedric this time around. He was the one in control and could drop him at any moment. And him in his human body. It was pretty scary. In place of screaming out, Ichigo only tightened his hold. This didn't feel very secure at all. No seatbelts or anything to keep him attached. Just Cedric's arms and Ichigo's strength. The feeling that he would be blown off any moment was always with him along this terrifying ride.

Though he couldn't fly, Cedric may as well have been. His jumps were several buildings apart and incredibly high. They started to descend and Cedric kicked off another building. They were heading further into the city now. The green grass and trees were long left behind. Only concrete and steel in sight. No one paid any attention to them, their world far below.

Cedric landed on a roof to speak to Ichigo. "Where is your class meeting the bus?"

"Uh…" He looked around. "In front of the hotel. It was near a park."

"The one we found you at before?"

"Yeah."

"Got it." Cedric shot off again. He scaled a skyscraper in one leap. He ran across the rooftop and leapt onto another below. Ichigo glanced over and spotted their bus. Before he could say anything to him, Cedric made a sharp turn and leapt over six lanes of traffic and the park between them and into the alley beside the hotel out of sight.

The second they landed, Cedric let him down. Ichigo wobbled, not used to being back on ground yet. It was like getting off a trampoline after a few hours and walking on flat ground once again. It took him a moment before he got his legs back and poked his head around the building.

There was his class. They were standing outside the bus, their teacher taking attendance. He saw Orihime and Chad with his bag. They must have packed it for him. He slipped out of hiding and went over to them as casually as he could.

Orihime was the first to notice. "Ichigo, where have you been?"

"The bus was just about to take off," Chad told him.

"Yeah, sorry about that."

"We packed your stuff for you."

"Yeah!" Orihime smiled. "I didn't, but Chad did and made sure everything was there. I was just hanging onto it until you came back. Where'd you go anyway?"

"Thanks for taking care of it, guys. I appreciate it. But we have a problem."

They got serious, moving in closer.

"It's Soul Reaper business. Long story short, I can't go home just yet. We're still figuring things out. I called Kisuke. He's getting back to me."

"What happened?"

"I'm not sure. But we think something's going on back at the Soul Society. Yumichika came here and he was acting weird."

"Should we stay, too?"

"No, you guys need to go back home. If anything, you'll help me out more there with Kisuke." He meant that. If they were here with him, they'd be put in danger. What if Yumichika came after them with that stinger or unleashed another Hollow. He would worry less if they were back home. There, they could keep an eye on things, too, for him.

"What are you going to tell the teacher? It's not like she's going to let you stay here by yourself."

That's right! Ichigo spent all this time thinking about other things and trying not to get thrown off that he had forgotten what he was going to tell her. He hadn't come up with a story yet. He had nothing.

"Ichigo Kurosaki?"

He turned around. His teacher was standing there with her clipboard. "Where were you? When I said you could roam free, you kind of milked it and then some. You were running pretty late."

"Sorry. But, I have to ask something."

"What is it?"

"Can I… Is it possible for me to stay here just another day or two? Something came up."

Her usual easygoing nature was what Ichigo was relaying on. Unfortunately, her expression told him that he was about to be delivered bad news. "I'm sorry, Ichigo, but I can't let you stay here all by yourself. A permission slip's been signed. I have to take you back with the class unless there is a legit reason. And that you have a guardian with you who can look after you and bring you back home. Otherwise, I can't leave you behind."

He was afraid of that. If only he had brought Kon with him. He could have him stay in his body while he did as he pleased as a Soul Reaper. But he had left him behind in his room. Now what was he to do?

Just in time, Cedric picked up the slack. He walked out of the shadows and up to the teacher. "Pardon me, ma'am. But I'm a relative of Ichigo's."

"Really?"

"Really?" Ichigo had no idea what he was thinking.

"I live not too far from here. We're cousins he doesn't get to see too often and there has been a family issue. It's very unexpected and Ichigo thought it best to remain here until things get better. His father knows and wants Ichigo to remain here if that's his wish. We can bring him back home at any time."

"Oh. Oh, I see." She looked from Ichigo to Cedric. "Well, if that's the case, then I suppose it's alright." She handed him the clipboard. "Just sign here so his family and the school knows that he was given permission to stay. There should be no problem."

As Cedric signed the forum, Ichigo felt so relieved. His luck was beginning to change. Thank God Cedric was here. He was such a big help to him.

"Alright! Everyone else on the bus! Let's go, let's go, lets' go!"

Orihime left Ichigo's bag with him. "Are you sure you're going to be ok here without us?"

He nodded. "You'll help me out a lot more over there, and I'm not just saying that."

Nodding, she got on the bus with the others.

Chad stopped to give Ichigo one final knowing glance before going on the bus himself.

Uryu stayed to whisper something to Ichigo. "I don't feel right leaving you here by yourself."

"I have a job to do."

"I know, but still."

"Oh, you worried about me or something?"

"Hardly…" Uryu scoffed. "I just feel that you would need assistance from someone with some actual skill instead of pure luck."

"Whatever."

Nodding to each other, Uryu loaded onto the bus as the last student. Their teacher got on and told the driver to go. Ichigo watched as his classmates left, their faces pressed up against the glass, watching him as the bus pulled out into traffic. Ichigo didn't feel right about letting them go, but he knew that he would feel worse if he hadn't.

He knew what had to be done. He knew he had to work with those who were immune to the toxin that Yumichika possessed. For this, his allies would be Victor and Cedric. They would have to work together to beat this thing.

"Ready to go?" Cedric asked.

Nodding, Ichigo got back on Cedric's back, holding on tight. Grabbing Ichigo's bag in his left hand, Cedric leapt straight up into the air, setting out for home.

* * *

><p>Please review! Be nice ^^<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5:**

Cedric set him down on the ground and Ichigo ran to the front door. The moment he got inside, he asked, "Any calls for me?"

Victor was cleaning up in the kitchen. "No, none."

Linnette ran from the couch over to where Ichigo stood, hugging him tightly. "Ichigo, you're back! How did it go?"

"Fine. I can stay here a while. My teacher's ok with it."

"That's good." She saw Cedric step inside with Ichigo's bag. "Hi, Cedric. Welcome back."

"Thanks." He handed Ichigo his belongings. "This is yours. Where do you want them?"

"I don't care."

Ichigo slept on the couch in the den again. Curled into a ball, he pulled the covers up to his nose. They smelled clean. He turned his head to the side to look at the dark ceiling. Though the house and room itself put him at ease, he couldn't relax. As carefree and peaceful as it made him feel, he knew what the situation was. He couldn't put it out of his mind. What was going to happen from this point on?

His eyes grew heavy. He had to get some sleep.

As he tried to close his eyes and relax, he heard a noise. Footsteps coming downstairs. He listened. They sounded too fast and light to be Yumichika's. There was no way he could get in anyway with the security system they had anyway, right? The footsteps stopped, jumping onto the final step and then started up again, running in his direction. He heard movement and felt someone enter the room. He looked up.

"Linnette."

She was dressed in a blue nightdress, her hair braided off to one side.

"What are you doing down here? Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"I wanted to give you this." She handed him a stuffed animal. "You can sleep with it tonight, ok?"

He looked down in the dark at the stuffed tiger she had given to him. "Thanks?" He felt weird about being given a toy to sleep with. He wasn't a child anymore. But it seemed to be the only way Linnette could bring Ichigo comfort in her mind. She didn't know how to reassure him, so she did what Victor and Cedric did to comfort her. Stuffed animals worked for her so maybe they would work for him, too. It was the thought that counted.

"Good night, Ichigo. And don't worry. It'll be ok."

He gave her a smile. "Thanks, Linnette."

Smiling back, she went back up the stairs to her room.

He hoped she was right. He wanted things to work out. Bringing the tiger under the covers with him, Ichigo closed his eyes and tried to get to sleep.

Surprisingly, Ichigo slept all through the night without a problem. In fact, he was the last one up. Victor had to go to wake him, finding him sprawled on the couch, the tiger laying across his stomach and the covers wrapped around his legs.

"Such a sloppy sleeper, you are, Ichigo." He picked up one of Ichigo's arms, moving it off the coffee table and lay it down beside him. The action caused Ichigo to wake up. Groggy, it took Ichigo a moment to remember where he was. "Breakfast is ready."

At the promise of food, Ichigo stretched and sat up rubbing his eyes. Throwing off the covers, Ichigo set the tiger down beside the pillow and went into the kitchen to eat.

"Morning!" Linnette waved, eating pancakes.

"Morning…" Ichigo yawned. "What time is it?"

Victor checked. "9:30."

"Wow, did I sleep…" He sat down and was served a stack of pancakes as well. "Thanks."

"Milk or juice?"

"I don't care." He took a bite of pancake. They were better than Yuzu's. Thick and buttery, but they melted in his mouth perfectly. "Oh, my God, these are good." He drowned them in syrup and stuffed them into his mouth.

"Victor makes the best pancakes ever," Linnette said proudly. "They go great with strawberries, too."

"No kidding." Ichigo finished off four of them before stopping. They were good, but four of them was a mistake. Now that he felt full, he also felt sluggish. He sat slumped in his seat, eyeing the couch longingly. He wanted a nap. Or at least a day with the TV remote in his hand.

Linnette beat him to it, turning on the TV to watch one of her favorite shows. Ichigo dragged himself into the room and flopped down on the couch. Americans had some strange shows on TV, but it was entertaining, even if he didn't know what was going on.

After about an hour, Linnette was still in front of the TV while her servants had gone to their chores. Ichigo kept an eye on her and the TV.

Until the phone rang.

He jumped off the couch and ran over to the phone, taking the turn a little too fast and slamming into the wall with his shoulder. He grabbed the phone and pulled it off the hock so fast and hard he nearly ripped the cord out of the wall. "H- Hello? Hello?"

"Ichigo," Kisuke's voice came from the other end.

"Hat-and-Clogs!"

"Ichigo, whatever you do, don't let anyone get stuck by that stinger! I know what it is! I know what's going on with Yumichika!"

"You do? What? What? Tell me!"

"We were both right in our own ways about him being himself while still not being all there."

"So I was right and he is being possessed by a Hollow?" Ichigo asked.

"No. Yumichika _is _the Hollow!"

"What? How?"

"Let me explain it to you." He shuffled things around on his end. "I took a look at the drawing you made of the tattoo. It's a mark from a Hollow. It leaves a distinctive mark from the point of entry. Kind of like a snake bite or a bee sting."

"What does that mean?"

"Ichigo, Yumichika's been taken over by a parasitic Hollow."

"So he i_s_ possessed?"

"No, not quite. The Hollow's too weak to do anything on its own. It needs to attach itself to a host body in order to survive. It's like a leech."

"So he's _not_ possessed?"

"No. Basically, the Hollow's acting through Yumichika. Yumichika's himself. His thoughts and actions are his own. But the Hollow is influencing him."

"So the Hollow's telling him what to do, in a way?"

"Yes. Yumichika has no idea that he's been infected. He believes that he's doing this stuff because he wants to. He believes that his actions are his own and not the work of an outside force. The Hollow's just living off of Yumichika. Its will is convincing him that he wants to do this stuff."

"Hang on, let me get this straight. So Yumichika has a Hollow living inside of him but he doesn't know it? And instead of possessing him, the Hollow's will is coming out through Yumichika?"

"In a nutshell, yes. And as long as they are attached, Yumichika has all of the Hollow's abilities."

"Like the stinger?"

"Yes."

"But what does that do exactly?"

"Using the stinger, he can recruit others to be like him. Once stung, the infected person will become like Yumichika with Hollow tendencies. They're going to do his bidding. It's like a colony of bees. Yumichika is the queen bee and the worker bees are all the people he infects with the stinger. And like a queen bee, he can get rid of them when they're of no further use to him."

"So you're saying that Yumichika can and will kill the people he stings when he doesn't want them anymore?"

"Yes. The Hollow is the one in charge. It wants to take down the Soul Society, but knows that it can't do it alone. So it's using Yumichika to infect other people so they'll come over to his side and help him. Once that's done, he'll probably kill them off."

"Is there anyway to stop this?"

"Simple. We kill the Hollow. We kill it and it all goes away. The problem with that is that in order to do that, we'll have to kill Yumichika, too. Unless there's a way we can get it to detach itself from him. Or, if we're going by Hollow rules, there's another problem. If we go to kill it, the Hollow could always leave Yumichika's body just in time, saving itself while Yumichika dies and attach onto another person."

"I see…" Ichigo's mind was buzzing with all this new information. Yumichika wasn't being taken over, but he may as well have been with a Hollow influencing his thoughts. Worst of all, he could infect other people and make them come over to his side. "Hey, Kisuke, do you know why he's been popping up in New York?"

"No idea. It could be random. Or he could be after something."

"Like what?"

"Well… like you for example."

"What? That can't be it. He went after Linnette and her friends last time. I wasn't even there."

"Ah, but you did show up to rescue them. I think that was his plan all along. That's why he wasn't hurting them too badly. He was trying to flush you out instead. He knew you would come to save them so he attacked innocent little girls. Cheap but effective."

"I guess so…"

"Ichigo. I'm going to do more research on this. But so far, that's all I have to tell you. Do not let anyone get hit by that stinger. Just one prick and you'll become just like him."

"Yeah, but doesn't he realize something's wrong? He knows he doesn't act like this. His job and everything. Wouldn't he figure it out after a while?"

"Not necessarily. Yumichika is convinced that his actions and thoughts are his own and that he's not being influenced from an outside force. As far as he's concerned, this is who he is. No amount of convening's going to change that. Think about it, Ichigo. You would act the same way if I were to tell you right here and now that you aren't a Soul Reaper. You would think I was crazy, right? You know it's the truth. And you would react the same way if I said to you that you're living with a fake family and that those girls you live with aren't really your sisters. You wouldn't listen to me, would you? You're convinced."

Ichigo understood a little better now. Yumichika was the same way. He thought that everything he knew and did was him and his choosing. If told something different, he wouldn't believe it for a second anymore than Ichigo would those examples Kisuke just told him.

"I'll let you go now."

"Wait! What about Rukia?"

"I haven't heard from her for a while now. But I'm sure she's ok. I'll keep you posted."

"Thanks."

They hung up and Ichigo moved into the other room. Victor was waiting for him by the entrance to the den.

"What's happening, Ichigo?"

Cedric was sitting on the couch behind him, watching.

This was a good time to fill them both in. But was it really any of their business? After a moment's thought, Ichigo had the answer. After all, they were both immune to the toxin Yumichika had and they were inhuman in more ways than one. Super speed, superhuman strength. They could prove useful in this battle. Ichigo decided to tell them.

* * *

><p>"So while the Hollow's inside of him, your friend has all of his capabilities?"<p>

"That's what he said, yeah."

Cedric leaned back in his seat. "This seems like a bad situation, doesn't it? But how can we help if we don't even know its target?"

"I wasn't counting on your help. But I was kind of hoping for it," Ichigo told them. "After all, you two aren't effected by the toxin so you're both safe. And with your kind of power, you could be a big help."

Victor nodded his head slowly, thinking calmly. "A toxin that infects others and causes them to act just like him… Well, your friend Kisuke was right in describing Yumichika as a queen bee. That is how a colony works. The queen bee lives in the hive and orders her worker bees to do her bidding. And once someone's of no further use, the queen is free to kill them off. The workers answer to her alone."

"He also said that the mark on him was an indications as to where the Hollow is located. If it's on the back of his neck, that would explain why he doesn't know there's a Hollow there. He never saw it enter. The Hollow burrowed into him from that point. The tattoo shows us where the Hollow is hiding. We could always rip it out by force."

"No good," Victor said. "With our kind of power and when dealing with a Hollow, there's no telling what we could end up doing to Yumichika. We could end up killing him if we try to remove the Hollow that way. And if it is inside of him, we would have to tear flesh and bone away to get to it. As durable as Soul Reapers are, even that's bound to kill him. And we still might not end up killing the Hollow anyway."

"Then it'll have to leave on its own, which is hard to do according to everyone."

"Getting the Hollow out of him will be my problem. I just want you guys to back me up," Ichigo said. "I'm not immune so I need some cover."

The two men looked at each other for a long time. Then they looked back at Ichigo. They didn't need to speak. Ichigo already knew it was going to be bad news.

"I'm sorry. But we're not here for you. We're here for Linnette. We can't put her at risk for something no one has all the answers to. In any case, we cannot put her into danger. So far, she has been attacked by this man- granted only once- but that is too much. I don't think we can help you."

"But she can help, too. It's not like you're leaving her all alone unprotected."

"Even so… She doesn't have our power. She can get hurt. We won't put her in danger to help you. I'm sorry but we can't help you."

"But I want to." Linnette had suddenly come into the room, looking serious. "I want to help Ichigo. He helped me before. I want to help him."

Victor stood up, walking over to her. "Linnette, I can't allow that. You'll be in danger. You could get hurt."

"I could have been hurt before, too, but Ichigo saved me. And I don't care about that."

"We do."

Linnette looked around the floor for an answer. At last she had one. "But if we don't help Ichigo stop him, then I'll be in danger anyway."

"What?"

"Yes." She was smiling. She had the perfect plan. "Think about it. He's in New York, right? I live here and so far me and my friends have all been attacked. He attacked in the city, too. He's getting closer to where I live. I'll be in more danger if we do nothing because he's on the loose. And if not me, then my friends and their families. What would that do to me and my happiness if everyone I care about is hurt? I'd feel guilty about it no matter what you say. It makes a lot more sense to help Ichigo defeat him to keep me safe. Helping him will solve everyone's problems."

She was right. Helping take down Yumichika and the Hollow within him would be in Linnette's best interest as well as everyone in the city and everyone she was close to. It would also guarantee this from happening again if the Hollow is dealt with and Ichigo and the Soul Reapers would be saved. It would help out everyone.

"I want to help him," she repeated.

"But…"

"You know I'm right. And it's not like I'm in any real danger. You'll both be there to help me. And with my singing voice, I can stop Hollows in their tracks."

Ichigo had forgotten all about that. When Linnette sang the last time, it seemed to have an effect on Yumichika. He looked as though he was in pain. He may not have been a Hollow, but there was one using him as a hive. Linnette could be just as big a help as the others.

Linnette took a stubborn stance, looking very serious and strong-willed. "That is my wish. I want to help Ichigo. And I want you two to help me do that. Please."

They couldn't deny her. Even if they could tell her no, they couldn't when they knew that it would end up helping her in the long run. Linnette had valid points and wasn't going to back down.

"Very well. We'll help in anyway we can."

"As you wish, Linnette."

Smiling happily, she turned to Ichigo. "What can we do? Tell me what to do."

Putting Ichigo on the spot, he couldn't think of anything off hand. "Uh… nothing yet. We don't know where he is. But Rukia's keeping an eye on him back in the Soul Society. I guess we either wait for more news or wait for him to show up… In the meantime, I wonder how things are going on that end?"

* * *

><p>Please review! ^-^<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6:**

As promised, Rukia spent most of her time tailing Yumichika back at the Soul Society. The only problem was that their divisions were so far apart and she had other assignments to handle as well. Ukitake had been out ill again that week, relaying on everyone to help him with the work that was piling up. Many people were stopping by his home to give him gift baskets and presents. Rather than visit him like everyone else, Rukia stayed on Yumichika like a shadow.

So far, he wasn't doing anything too out of the ordinary. Though she did notice a few changes in his behavior. For example, he wasn't hanging around Ikkaku as much and left his work untouched back at the office. He was doing a lot of wandering around. But now, after an afternoon of chasing, Rukia had lost him.

She spotted Ikkaku coming out of an office with a stack of papers and files in one hand, as if he were showing off his arms strength. "Ikkaku, have you seen Yumichika around anywhere?"

"Huh? Oh, nah. I haven't seen him all day. And he's lucky of that. I'd love to wring his neck for all the extra work he's leaving me." He looked over her shoulder and suddenly bowed. "Afternoon, Captain."

Rukia turned. The captain of Squad 11 was standing right behind her. "Good afternoon, sir."

"Yeah, what's so good about it?" Kenpachi grumbled.

Yachiru popped up from behind his shoulder, smiling as usual. "Kenny's a little grumpy today because of all the weird stuff happening."

"Such as?"

"Some bastard's been using the Senkaimon without permission."

_Yumichika_.

"So someone's using it illegally?"

"I hate that word. We're allowed to do whatever we want, but regular Soul Reapers have to have permission in order to use it. You know, like signing in and out crap. That way we know where everyone is. Real pain in the ass."

Yachiru was giggling. "And that's why Kenny's so grumpy! They say that it was someone from Squad 11 going through it. Funny, huh?"

There was no doubt anymore. Yumichika was the one using it. Rukia was sure of it.

When Kenpachi left with his lieutenant, Rukia darted off in another direction. She was still looking for Yumichika, but now she had another thought come to mind. She couldn't do this alone. She needed to warn people about him. But she had to be careful who she spoke to. What if they had already been stung by him? Her brother seemed like a pretty safe bet. After all, people from Squad 11 rarely came around his division and he had been cooped in his office all day with paperwork. She had to warn him.

* * *

><p>His eyes were tired. A full day of filing and signing forums. He was ready for a break. Byakuya had finally finished the last of the paperwork when someone knocked on his office door. "Enter."<p>

He was surprised to see his sister enter his office, so far from her own division. She wasted no time in entering and closing the door quickly behind her. She looked around the office, making sure they were alone. "Brother, I need to talk to you."

Already sensing that something was wrong, Byakuya allowed her to speak without interruption.

"It would seem that one of our own has been taken over by a Hollow. We have reason to suspect that Yumichika has a Hollow using him as a host, telling him to do evil acts. He attacked Ichigo in the World of the Living as well as innocent human children. He was even seen commanding a Hollow. I've been following him around and I've seen this myself. But he's only being controlled, he's not a Hollow himself so he can be saved. I think we should go directly to the Head Captain and warn him about this. We've also found out that he can infect other people and turn them into what he is now and command them. It's become so dangerous and we also have to worry about broadcasting this because we could run into an infected person. I haven't told anyone else, otherwise Yumichika and the Hollow inside would know that their cover was blown. Please help me, brother."

Byakuya never interrupted her. He just sat there with the same expression, listening. When she was through, he stood up, coming around to the front of his desk. "No one else knows about this?"

"No one but Ichigo and Kisuke and anyone else they might have told. I came to you for help and to warn you."

"I'm always on guard. Even if he is a 5th seat, I am a captain. Even with a Hollow in control, there is a significant difference in power between us."

"Even so, please be careful. I'm also worried about who else might be infected. That's why we have to warn Head Captain Yamamoto."

Byakuya's expression still didn't change. "I don't think he'll do anything about it without proof. Is there anyway to prove this?"

She only had one answer to that. "There's a mark on his neck where the Hollow is located. Other than that, everything about him is the same. Even his Spiritual Pressure. That's the only way to tell."

"I see." Byakuya looked away. "We'll need more… Even so, Rukia, the Head Captain will not just let this go so easily. Once word gets out that there is a Hollow inside Yumichika, his execution is imminent."

She was afraid of that. No matter the situation, if a Hollow was involved, he would die. They wouldn't bother trying to get it out of him safely. They would simply attempt to kill him along with the Hollow. Going to the Head Captain would only result in that. There was no help in that regard.

"I will see what I can do about this," Byakuya went on to say. "But if he does anything, Rukia… I will report him myself."

"Understood." She knew what he meant. If Yumichika did anything against the law, anything to harm another or anything outside of a man's moral character, Byakuya would tell the proper authorities. Until he witnesses such a thing, Byakuya would keep quiet. That meant it was up to her for now.

Rukia left the office feeling no better than when she went in. At least she warned her brother. That was what she sent out to do. For the time being, she had to return to following the 5th seat.

"Rukia Kuchiki."

She jumped, spinning around. The very person she was tailing was standing right behind her. She admitted to herself that she was scared. There was no telling what he would do. What he knew…

"What are you doing all the way out here? A little far from your own division, isn't it?"

It was Yumichika alright. But he was indeed different. Even his voice seemed slyer. Nonetheless, she answered him truthfully. "I was seeing my brother."

"About what?"

"Noble business. Only between siblings. I can't tell you."

"No matter…" He stepped closer. "So where are you going now?"

"I'm going to pick up some things for my captain. He's not feeling well again."

"I see…" He took another step. "What kinds of things are you getting him?"

She backed away. She couldn't let him get too close to her. "I haven't decided yet. I wanted to get him a gift. A get-well sort of thing, you know."

He moved closer.

"I did a lot of the paperwork for him. Everyone's helping out. I can't do a lot, though. I feel bad about that. You know me. All this time and I never made it to a seated position. No matter. I mean, I lost all my powers a while ago, remember? I guess I'm not all that strong, huh? That's why I need saving all the time."

Yumichika didn't take another step. Instead he stared at her for a minute, then backed away. "Alright…" He put on a smile and turned his back to her, walking away. "Alrighty, then. I'll be seeing you, Rukia." He disappeared down another hall.

She let out a deep breath. It worked. She had a feeling he was only approaching her to use that stinger on her. He wanted to recruit her. That's why he was here and moving in on her. She would have been a victim. By selling herself short, as a weakling, Yumichika backed off, not wanting someone weak on his team. He wanted someone strong to help him take over. That's why he left her alone. He didn't want her now. That was a close one.

But who would his next target be now that he wasn't after her anymore?

* * *

><p>Ichigo had been sitting on the couch for the past two hours. Thinking, waiting… He desperately wanted Kisuke to call back with some kind of information. He didn't even care if it was good news or not. He just wanted to know what was happening. He kept going over everything he knew over and over again and again in his mind. One would say that he was obsessing over the whole thing, but he found that he could do nothing else. Perhaps if he went over it all again in his mind, he'd find a hidden solution somewhere. However, that wasn't the case. It just got him even more frustrated. He hated not knowing. He hated waiting around while everyone else was doing something. So many unanswered questions. What was Yumichika doing here in New York? What was he after here? Was it just a coincidence? Was there a reason? Was he after someone in particular? Was this all just random?<p>

Ichigo put his head in his hands with a long sigh. All this thinking was giving him a headache. He didn't know how much more he could take.

"Ichigo."

He looked up, seeing Victor standing behind the couch, looking down at him. "Oh, it's you. What do you want?"

"I have a favor to ask of you."

A favor? That was unusual coming from him, someone who could complete any task with incredible ease and precision. What could he possibly do for him?

"I need help with a few chores around here. Could you lend a hand?"

From Victor's standpoint, Ichigo looked like a lost child calling for his mother. Confused and scared. "Uh, sure, I guess." Ichigo got off the couch and followed Victor into the next room.

They went into the spotless kitchen, through the dining room, into the hall and into the study. Ichigo stood staring at all the books while Victor took out a stepladder from the closet. He set it beneath the chandelier and handed Ichigo two small boxes.

"I need you to hold these and this ladder while I go up to change a couple light bulbs."

"Ok." Ichigo held the ladder steady while Victor climbed up and sat on the top step. As he unscrewed the first light bulb, Ichigo continued to wonder why a man like him would want his help. The man could survive being stabbed and blown up multiple times, so it was doubtful that a five foot fall would do him any lasting damage.

He handed Ichigo the burnt out bulb, exchanging it for a new one in the box. Once that one was screwed in, he moved on to the second one. Ichigo handed him the second box containing the new bulb. Victor quickly replaced it and climbed back down.

"Thank you, Ichigo. Now upstairs, if you please."

Putting the ladder back and the empty boxes beside the garbage, Ichigo followed him upstairs. He led Ichigo into the bathroom. On his way in, he glanced in the room across the hall from the bathroom. It was the playroom. Linnette had her back to him, playing some sort of computer game on the far wall, game music pouring out into the hall.

"This way, Ichigo."

Ichigo entered the bathroom. "Yeah?"

He handed Ichigo a brush, a sponge, a bucket of water and a bottle of cleaner. "You can get started on the tub while I handle the rest.

"Eh..?" Ichigo looked down at the large white tub. There were a few small patches of yellow and brown and some of Linnette dark hair. It didn't need that much cleaning, but Ichigo did it without complaints. After all, it wouldn't take long. He rolled up his sleeves, got down on his knees and got started.

After a couple of minutes, Ichigo glanced up to see how Victor was doing. His jaw dropped. Victor was incredible. He had scrubbed the toilet clean, inside and out. While the water inside remained blue, Victor got started on the dusting. He was as nimble as could be, standing on random objects to reach the ceiling and corners of the wall. He scrubbed every tile in that room, dusted everything he could get his hands on, no matter how difficult it was to reach, replaced all the wilting flowers with fresh ones, cleaned the vents, washed the windows, replaced all the towels with clean ones, emptied the hamper into a basket, set it outside the door, cleaned the sink, replaced the air fresheners and returned to the toilet to flush out the blue liquid, finishing the cleaning. All in just three minutes.

He turned his head, looking at Ichigo. "Finished yet?"

"Huh?" His question brought Ichigo out of his daze. "Oh. No, not yet. Just a second." Why did Victor need his help? He was managing just fine and in record time.

When Ichigo was finished, he put all of the cleaning equipment into the bucket. Victor smiled at him. "Ah, good. Now we change the shower curtain."

Ichigo stood up, waiting while Victor brought a new one out of the narrow closet. He handed it to Ichigo.

"Just hang on to that while I unhook this one." Victor started unhooking it from the rod above the tub. When he was finished, he asked Ichigo to unfold the new one and help him clip it onto the hooks. "Very good. Almost there."

Ichigo held up the long rob while Victor clipped each section on one clip at a time. As they were nearing the halfway point, there was a call from across the hall.

"Victor! I need you!"

Faster than any flash step, Victor was gone in an instant, leaving Ichigo alone. His quick disappearance caused Ichigo to throw himself forward to catch the rod before it fell while supporting the curtain with his leg. Before he could drop it, Victor returned to help him.

They finished pinning up the curtain. After that, they washed the floor. Ichigo watched Victor zoom across the floor in a blur, cleaning with incredible speed, leaving nothing untouched. Ichigo finished his corner, backing himself out into the carpeted hall. He looked across the floor, realizing that Victor had cleaned himself into a corner in the back of the room. Before Ichigo could think about how foolish such a thing was for such an intelligent man to do, Victor proved him wrong. Bending his knees, Victor jumped, clearing the entire bathroom in one leap, landing on the other side beside Ichigo.

"Shall we?" he asked, taking the cleaning supplies with him to the closet.

Ichigo was in awe over the whole thing. Even a little angry. Why would this man ask for his help? He obviously didn't need it.

Victor then took him down the hall to Linnette's bedroom. In such a short amount of time, Linnette had turned her room upside-down during play. All her stuffed animals were everywhere, her dirty clothes were on the floor and her closet door was wide open, everything spilling out. Her bed was a mess, too. All in all, it wasn't the worst Ichigo had ever seen before.

"This shouldn't take too long," Victor said. "We're not washing her bed today. Took care of that yesterday."

"Yesterday?"

"While you were waiting for a call. You didn't think we were doing nothing, did you?"

"… No."

Victor got started, giving Ichigo directions of where to begin. "Start with the closet. Make sure everything's on a hook and close the door. I'll show you where the stuffed animals go next."

Ichigo did as he was told, all the while thinking why Victor would ask for his help in the first place. He packed everything into the closet and shut the door. Then he helped Victor pick up all the stuffed animals and piled them up in a corner on top of a small plush couch. From there, they went over to make Linnette's bed.

"You take that side and I'll take this."

"Ok."

Taking the four corners of the sheet, Ichigo and Victor stretched it out over the bed, setting it down and tucking in the corners. After that came another sheet followed by a blanket.

"Something wrong, Ichigo?"

"What makes you say that?"

"The fact that you have that look on your face."

Ichigo didn't realize it, but he had a glare in his eyes coupled with a deep frown. "I was just thinking."

"Thinking?"

Ichigo stopped folding and stood up, taking the sheets with him in his hands. "Why are you having me do this stuff when you and I know full well that you are more than capable of doing it yourself? You don't need me or my help so why? Just like making me work?"

"That's not it. I'm helping you."

Ichigo didn't know what to think. "Helping me? How? By making me work?"

"Believe it or not, yes," Victor told him. "Ever since your friend started acting up, you've been sitting around doing nothing. Just waiting by the phone like a bump on a log. Moping, waiting, pouting, worrying, whatever you want to call it, but the point is that it's not helping anyone, least of all yourself. Tell me the truth, Ichigo. During this time, all this time of doing chores, did you ever once think about Yumichika or the next phone call? Have you worried at all?"

In truth, no. He hadn't. And he found himself less anxious and a little calmer. His head had stopped hurting and he was able to think clearer.

"I thought so. We do that with Linnette, too. If she gets upset or worried about things that are beyond her control, we distract her and she feels a lot better. You can't keep dwelling on it, Ichigo."

"Why not?" he managed to say quietly, still shocked that he hadn't figured it out sooner.

"Because it's not going to help anyone or anything. If anything, it'll hurt you. If there is a fight coming up, you can't be distracted by worry. On the battlefield, you can't hesitate. You can't over think things and you can't worry. You'll die out there or worse. There is no room for what-ifs in a fight. Do you really think that you'll accomplish anything during a fight thinking and worrying about everything?"

As much as he hated to admit, Victor was right. He was worrying too much. In a fight he had to keep his mind clear with a set goal and target. What made this so different was the fact that there were too many things to think about. He had everything going on inside his head. He hesitated last time because of this.

He couldn't kill Yumichika because he wasn't really at fault. It was the Hollow's doing. How was he going to defeat Yumichika with that Hollow inside of him? How was he going to get it out of him? How was he going to avoid that stinger? How many other people had become victims of it? Why New York of all places? Was he looking for something? Was he after something here? Who was his target? How could he summon that Hollow? Could he control them? How many more people were going to get hurt? What if the Soul Society found out about this? They would kill him regardless, wouldn't they? How did his powers work? Was there more he was hiding? What else could he do? What was his plan? Was there a cure for that stinger? What if he got hit by it? Would he become just like him? What about his friends? When was Kisuke going to call back? Would it be good news? What if the only way to stop this was to kill Yumichika? Then what about the Hollow? Who would its next host be? Was there a way? What was going to happen? What was he to do?

He couldn't think this way during a fight. He would lose for sure. He would be too distracted to do anything. He had to keep an open mind. He had to focus. He couldn't let these feelings and thoughts get in the way. Not to mention how this was making him feel. He was worrying which only made things worse for him to come up with a solution. He kept thinking about it and couldn't put it out of his mind which only frustrated him further making it even harder for him to do anything.

By distracting Ichigo, he was able to think more clearly and wasn't worrying so much. He felt a lot better. Victor had actually helped Ichigo. Plus all the manual labor was helping him to move. He couldn't just sit there on the couch all the time. He had to be ready. His mind on other things and his body moving again, Ichigo felt a lot better. Much calmer and his mind much clearer.

Ichigo looked at the wrinkled sheets in his clenched hands. "You're right. Thanks…"

"No problem." Victor tugged at the sheets, bringing Ichigo out of his thoughts. "Let's finish, shall we?"

Ichigo returned to his work, making the bed. They lay the comforter on top and placed the mountain of pillows on top of the bed neatly. After that came her favorite stuffed animals. Halfway through that, came another call.

"Victor! I need you!"

He zoomed away, flinging a stuffed animals into the air. He rushed back, just in time to catch it on its way down. Ichigo blinked. He was incredible. "Sorry about that. She needed help sounding out a word."

"Oh, yeah. She can't read very well, can she?"

"Learning disability. Reading comprehension. But she is doing better. Shame it was discovered so late. We home school her."

"Yeah, Cedric told me that." Ichigo finished setting the last stuffed animal onto the bed. "Doesn't that make it harder for her to make friends?"

"It also makes it harder for her to be bullied. What would be a learning disability would be 'stupidity' to some classmates. Children aren't very understanding, you know."

"Yeah, but…"

"But she seems to have friends anyway, doesn't she? A few kids around here are also home schooled. It's just easier I suppose. Summer is a great time for her to find kids to play with."

"I guess you're right."

"Victor!" Linnette's voice came from down the hall. "I'm getting hungry!"

"I have snacks waiting for you downstairs!" he called back. He turned to Ichigo. "Hungry?"

"Not really." Ichigo felt strange asking this, but it was something he really wanted. "Is there anything else I can do around here?"

Victor raised a brow at him in surprise. "Well… Cedric's outside. You can ask him. He does all the yard work."

"Ok, thanks." He walked passed him and downstairs. He actually wanted to work a little more now. It was making him feel better by taking his mind off things and kept his body moving. More than that, he felt like he owned them. After all, they were letting him stay here for nothing, feeding him and taking care of him. They were even going to help him fight, even though they had no reason to. He felt like he had to do something around here to pay them back.

This was Ichigo's first time being in their backyard. It was open and quite large. Thick trees fenced them in on all sides allowing them privacy to do some of their superhuman feats with Linnette. Turning he saw Cedric bending down over a flowerbed. Different kinds of flowers of all shapes, sizes and color lined the outside of their house. Cedric looked up, a handful of weeds in his hand.

"Yes?"

"Victor sent me out here to help you if you needed any."

"He did, did he?" Cedric looked around. "There's not too much here to do… I mowed the lawn a couple days ago. I suppose you could rake some of the leaves that have fallen over there. You can find everything you need in that shed over there." He pointed to a small shed behind the house.

Ichigo went over to it and tried opening the door. It rattled but never opened.

"You have to jerk it a little."

Ichigo jerked the handle and the door swung open. The inside of the wooden shed was dark and had no lights in it whatsoever. Inside, he found everything the family would need for all the seasons. A lawn mower, a pair of shovels, a broom, several buckets, pails, brushes, tools, trowels, wires, pliers, a jar of nails, and way in the back were a couple of rakes. He reached in and grabbed one, pulling it out and closing the door.

He got started. He never raked leaves if he could help it. Most of the time, he didn't have to. He only had one tree around the house and the leaves usually blew into the neighbor's yard. There weren't many leaves, but the yard was so huge it would take him a while. He got started on making a pile.

* * *

><p>Yumichika was feeling pretty good about this. He had everything he needed to put his plan into motion. He had a layout of the whole Seireitei and knew where and what all the captains were doing at the moment. He knew who was sick or injured, he knew who was weak and he knew who would be most useful to him. All he need now were followers. He couldn't take over with no one to help him. He couldn't possibly do it alone.<p>

He knew where to start. He needed a captain. They were the most powerful. They would make a good addition to his growing army. In more ways than one. A captain didn't just offer him power, but corruption. A captain could influence people in his own squad as well as sway the decisions of other captains, during their meetings for example. A captain would do just fine.

Smiling, running over his plan one final time, Yumichika started to head out. His departure came to a sudden halt when a blade came out of nowhere into his peripheral vision. Someone was behind him. "What do you want? What's the matter?"

"That's what I should be asking you," came Hitsugaya's voice.

Yumichika slowly turned, facing him. "What do you mean?"

"You're not Yumichika."

He chuckled. "What do you mean? Of course I am."

"I know…" Hitsugaya looked him up and down. "Your energy is the same and everything but… you seem darker, somehow."

"Darker? Like I have a tan or..?"

Hitsugaya shot him a look. "Don't play dumb. You're not your usual energetic, flamboyant self. You're usually more lively than this. It's like you have a dark secret to hide. Almost like you're sneaking around…"

Yumichika couldn't bring a smile to his face. There was nothing he could do. "I assure you that I am Yumichika. Ask me anything. I'll tell you the answer. Go ahead."

Hitsugaya didn't move or say anything.

"What's wrong?"

"I said that I knew it was really you. I just want to know what you're up to. Start talking."

He laughed. "What makes you think that I'm up to something?"

"That laugh for instance."

"So I laughed. Big deal."

Hitsugaya moved his sword higher towards Yumichika's neck.

"You plan on fighting me? Really?"

His expression didn't change. "I intend to do whatever it takes to get to the truth."

"You wouldn't stand a chance…"

"A captain going against a 5th seat… We'll see who has the difference in power. But I'd rather avoid that."

"You'll have to drag me kicking and screaming… sir."

There was a sneer in him that Hitsugaya did not like. He grabbed Yumichika's wrist, attempting to pull him away. "Either you come with me now of your own choosing or I take you with me in pieces. Your choice."

Yumichika rotated his wrist in Hitsugaya's hand, clamping his own hand over Hitsugaya's forearm. "We're not doing either one."

Hitsugaya felt a sharp pain in his forearm where Yumichika's palm was. Crying out in pain, he released his arm to examine the damage. There was a purple mark where the puncture wound was, almost like a bruise. It felt like a bee sting. The mark glowed and then faded away, leaving no trace.

Yumichika held up his hand, the stinger in his palm slowly retracting back into his flesh. "Now I think we understand each other… Captain." He took Hitsugaya's head in an almost loving way, bringing his own face down closer to be at his level. "Now you'll be helping me with a little task, won't you?"

Smiling back at him with the same look in his eyes, Hitsugaya nodded.

* * *

><p>Oh, NO! Not Little Shiro! D8<p>

Please review! ^^


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7:**

Ichigo mopped the sweat off his brow, finally finished with the raking. He had made a nice pile in the back and managed to get all the leaves inside a garbage bag and set it on the back porch with a heavy sigh. Cedric got up and took the bag with him somewhere else out of sight. All the yard work was done and over with. Ichigo sat down on the steps to rest.

That's when Victor came out of the house. "Want to have some dinner? It's ready now."

Hating to pass up an well-earned meal, Ichigo picked himself up and went inside. He sat at the table with Linnette already eating. Ichigo helped himself to the food set in front of him on the dinning room table. It tasted so good. He hadn't eaten for hours.

"You're all sweaty, Ichigo," Linnette remarked.

He looked down at himself. He was filthy from all that yard work and cleaning. Looking at Victor's white suit, Ichigo couldn't find a single speck of dirt on him. How did he manage to stay so clean while doing chores in a white suit?

"Feel free to use our shower if you like."

"Thank you." Ichigo stuffed himself. No wonder Linnette ate so much. It was so good. He couldn't put down his fork. Between the two of them, Linnette and Ichigo had finished off all the food leaving nothing but the empty plates behind.

Ichigo sat slumped in his seat. He ate too much again. He could barely move. Linnette, on the other hand, was up and bouncing into the next room. Victor tapped Ichigo on the shoulder.

"I prepared the bath for you. Clean towels and everything."

"Wow… Thanks." He couldn't believe the service he was being given.

He went upstairs and into the bathroom. The water was perfect. Just to his liking. He took a long hot shower, washing off all the dirt and grass. The one thing Victor had not done was set out a clean outfit for him to wear. However, he did provide him a fresh bathrobe to use. Apparently he didn't want to dig through Ichigo's bags for an outfit. The only other thing Ichigo could complain about were the soaps. They were all too girly for his taste. Everything was so strong smelling and like perfume. Everything was scented.

When he got out of the shower, he came out smelling like a girl. He smelled like lavender and flower blossoms. He put on his robe and stepped out into the hall, steam following after him. His suitcase was already waiting for him by the door, no doubt brought to him by one of Linnette's servants. He picked out an outfit and got dressed taking his time. It was like being at a spa. He was starting to enjoy this, even if he did smell pretty.

When finished, Ichigo wandered back out into the hall looking for the others. Everyone was downstairs, getting in a bit of playtime before bed. At the moment, Victor and Cedric were taking turns tossing Linnette back and forth between them. Cedric tossed her straight up in the air and caught her on the way down. She was laughing, having a great time. Turning her head, she spotted Ichigo standing behind them at the bottom of the stairs. Linnette threw a rubber ball at Ichigo's head.

"Play the dog, Ichigo!"

He caught it in his hand but politely refused. "Sorry. I don't feel like it."

"Aw, why not? Is it something I did?"

"No, nothing like that. I'm just kind of tired."

Victor turned, taking her out of Cedric's embrace. "Perhaps now would be a good time to take your shower, sweetie. Ichigo's all finished."

Once her feet touched the ground, Linnette skipped off. "Ok!" Just in front of the stairs, Linnette stopped to talk to Ichigo. She was smiling. "At least bark for me. Once? Please?"

He sighed. "No. I'm not gonna do that."

She giggled, not at all upset by the turndown. "I'll get you to do it someday, Ichigo." She climbed up the stairs.

* * *

><p>Ichigo spent a lot of time in the den watching TV with subtitles on the bottom of the screen, still waiting for Kisuke's next call. This was boring. And very unusual in this house, it was quiet. Curious, Ichigo got up to investigate. He went upstairs and looked around. Cedric was nowhere to be found, but he could hear Victor's voice coming from Linnette's room. He followed it and poked his head inside the room.<p>

He was reading her a story. The lights were all off except for one over an armchair which Victor was reading by, a thick novel in his lap. Linnette was in bed, surrounded by stuffed animals, listening to him read quietly. She cut Victor off, noticing Ichigo in the doorway.

"Ichigo! Come in! Come over here and listen! It's getting to the good part now."

Ichigo inched his way in, a little unsure for no apparent reason. "Bedtime story?"

She nodded. "Victor reads a chapter every night to me before bed." She took the book from Victor's hand, holding it up for Ichigo to read the title. "Black Rose of Desire, it's called. Ever read it?"

"No."

Linnette got up, moving her bed around and motioning for Victor to move out of his seat. She waved Ichigo over. After he stood waiting at her bedside, she answered his unspoken question. "I want you to read it with me, Ichigo. You have to. It's really good."

"Me? Now? But-"

"Please? You wouldn't bark when I asked so you owe me. Come on, Ichigo. Please?"

He looked at Victor.

The older man, smiled and tired to calm Ichigo down. "You'll just be reading to her for a few minutes. Most of the chapter's read anyway. You only have a few pages left to go. It'll please her and settle her down. She won't go to bed without it."

"But-"

"As a favor to me, Ichigo?"

Well, it was only a book, right? It wasn't like they were asking him to do anything embarrassing. He had nothing better to do anyway. Why not? Ichigo took the book from Victor's hand and sat down. As soon as he did, he realized a possible issue with this. Being in America most likely meant that this book was written in English. He couldn't read English very well, if at all. It was a pain just to learn how to speak it. Upon opening it to the bookmarked page, Ichigo realized that it was actually written in Japanese. With no excuses to get him out of this, Ichigo situated himself and began to read to her.

She listened, hanging on his every word. She had pulled the covers up to her chin and pulled a stuffed cat closer to her body as she listened.

After a few minutes, Ichigo felt his eyes get a bit heavy. Rubbing one of them with his right hand, he continued reading, hoping to finish this quickly. He glanced over at Linnette quickly to see if she was asleep yet. Not even close. Her eyes were still wide open and she had a big smile on her face, getting into the story. He continued to read.

Three pages later, he looked over at her again. He couldn't see her face, her head turned the other way. But he knew she was awake, giggling at a funny part in the book. Ichigo stifled a yawn. It was getting later by the minute and Victor was nowhere in sight. Off to do more chores, Ichigo figured.

His eyes were getting really heavy now and reading aloud was tiring him out faster. He didn't want to talk anymore. Finally he reached the end of the chapter. The final page. He read it quietly and closed the book at the end of the last sentence. The light bothering his tired eyes, Ichigo clicked it off. He looked at Linnette in bed, making no sound.

"Linnette?"

She gave him no answer.

Convinced that she was asleep, Ichigo let out a sigh, closing his eyes. Without realizing it, he was slowly drifting off. He jolted awake, sitting up in the armchair. All the activity and stress had gotten to him. He was stressed out over the situation, but Victor provided him with some relief. The physical activity from all the chores and yard work had also worn him out. The tasty, filling meal and the hot, relaxing shower had also taken its toll on him. And sitting in this warm, soft, comfy armchair wasn't helping to convince him to move anytime soon. Sitting in the dark room magnified his senses, allowing him to smell the sweet aromas around him. He smelled the soap and shampoos clinging to his body as well as Linnette's. He could smell her clean sheets and clean bedroom and her fan slowly rotating overhead with a dull rhythmic hum.

No sense in walking all the way downstairs in this state, Ichigo thought dimly. Yawning, Ichigo decided to rest for just a minute and get back some energy to climb downstairs and into the den he was using for a bedroom. He closed his eyes, allowing himself to drift off.

His light doze soon turned into a deep slumber.

Victor came back to check on things and found an odd but sweet scene in front of him. Linnette was asleep in her bed, as expected, but Ichigo was joining her sleep as well. He was slumped in his seat, book resting on his legs, out like a light. Smiling, Victor approached quietly. He took the book from Ichigo and placed it back on the shelf behind him. He moved to Linnette's bed and removed the folded blanket which lay at the foot of her bed and draped it over Ichigo's body. He had debated on whether or not to carry Ichigo downstairs to sleep on the couch, but decided against it. He also didn't have the heart to wake Ichigo now that he had just gotten to sleep.

Figuring that Ichigo would wake up on his own in a few minutes, Victor gently corrected Ichigo's hanging head into a better position and left for the night.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Victor entered Linnette's room and got a rather big surprise. Ichigo was still there. From the look of things, he hadn't moved since last night. But he couldn't be bothered with that right now. He had a schedule to maintain for Linnette. He went over to the windows and opened up the curtains one by one, letting in the light.<p>

"Good morning, Linnette, honey."

Linnette's back was turned toward the windows so the light had no effect on her. Ichigo, on the other hand, flinched and turned away, hiding his face in the back of the armchair.

Victor crossed the room and leaned over Linnette's body. "Sweetie," he called gently. "It's time for you to wake up. Breakfast will be ready in just a minute."

She rolled over to face him, rubbing her eyes. "What time is it?"

"9:20. I let you sleep in a little today."

"Oh. Thanks." She sat up, stretching. Looking over, she spotted Ichigo half asleep in the chair. "Ichigo, you slept in here?"

Ichigo blinked, looking around. "Yeah, I guess I did…"

"All night, in fact," Victor smiled. "I thought that you would wake up at some point. Guess you were just too tired. I'm surprised you managed to sleep like that in a chair of all things."

"It's actually pretty comfortable, but I know what you mean. I'm surprised, too." Also to his great surprise, he didn't have a stiff neck. He slept great for someone who slept in a chair.

Victor patted Ichigo's arm, telling him to leave the room. "Linnette's going to change. If you like, I made eggs and French toast. Want some?"

"Sure, that sounds great." It really did.

Victor sat him down at the table downstairs and served him while they waited for Linnette to get ready. Victor's French toast was better than Yuzu's. Ichigo was very impressed. But he made sure not to stuff himself this time. He had to be careful of that. A stuffed Soul Reaper was a slow one.

Linnette came down fifteen minutes later wearing a pink and purple jumper. She sat at the table and handed Victor a hair tie. He braided her long dark hair back, tying it off at the end with the hair tie and handed her a plate of French toast drowning in syrup and scrambled eggs.

The phone rang. Ichigo flinched. He resisted the urge to answer it himself. This was Linnette's house. It was most likely for her.

Victor answered the phone, and sure enough, that was the case. Victor made a note on the calendar next to the phone and hung up. "Linnette, you have a doctor's appointment at the end of the month."

She frowned. "Will I get a shot this time?"

"I doubt it. They took care of that late time, remember? It's just a check up. You'll have to get up early. It's a 10:00 sharp."

"Ok." She went back to her breakfast.

After they were finished eating, Linnette took Ichigo into the den to play video games. She was surprisingly good at some but not at others, which Ichigo beat her every time at. She never threw a tantrum. Not once. However, she did throw another ball at Ichigo, which he didn't catch this time.

"Why won't you bark for me?"

"Why do I have to?"

She shrugged. "It's fun. And Cedric and Victor do."

Ichigo handed the ball back to her, setting down his controller while Linnette changed the game. "Are dogs your favorite animal or something?"

She shrugged again. "I really like them, but they're not my favorite. I don't think I have one."

"Then what's with the barking?"

"It's fun. Victor always does it. I like playing dog with him. And Cedric tells me all the time that he is like a dog for me because dogs are loyal and will never leave your side or let you down. They'll follow you into danger and help you. And with a dog, you'll never be lost. And they love to play and make you happy and help you not to worry. So he says that he's like a dog for me."

"Does Victor say that, too?"

"He agrees, but he also says that rather than dogs, we're a family. Then Cedric once said that dogs are a family, too, because they're always together. They're never alone." Linnette paused in the middle of loading in the next game. "Just like me. I never want to be alone either."

Ichigo once again found himself speechless, listening to her sincere words. "Lonely, huh?"

"Yup. I hate being alone. That's why I want Victor and Cedric here. I want them to stay so I'll never be alone again. I'm not scared of much, but I hate being alone. I'm afraid of being alone. It's scary because no one's there. No one's there to help you or save you or comfort you or anything. You know?"

He understood. No one could live completely alone. He hated being alone when he was a little kid. It was one of the reasons why he always held his mother's hand. He didn't want to be separated from her for an instant. The world really was scary when there was no one there for you.

The phone rang in the next room three times before Victor answered. A minute later, he came into the den handing the phone to Ichigo. "It's for you."

Ichigo climbed over the arm of the couch and into the kitchen. "Yeah? Hello? Hello?"

"It's me," came Kisuke's voice on the other end. "Listen, I got news from Rukia. She's lost sight of Yumichika and someone said that they saw him heading towards the Senkaimon. And records confirm that it has been opened in the last few minutes. I think he's heading your way. Better get ready."

"Thanks for the heads up. We're on our way."

"And be careful. There is no hope for you if you get hit with that stinger. The only cure is to kill the Hollow. That's it."

"Got it." He hung up. "Guys, Yumichika's heading our way. We'd better get moving."

Victor and Cedric hesitated. They were unsure of what to do. All that changed when Linnette ran to the front door first and put on her shoes.

"Let's go! Hurry up!"

Carrying out her wishes, they hurried to the door to help her. Ichigo left his body behind on the couch and followed them out the door. Cedric took Linnette on his back this time, feeling that she would be safer that way and leapt into the air. Ichigo and Victor followed.

They traveled by air over all the houses, searching. Yumichika was nowhere to be found. Kisuke never did tell them where he would be. Only that he was heading their way.

"Where is he?" Victor asked.

"I don't know," Ichigo answered. He sucked at detecting Spiritual Pressure. He looked at Linnette. Maybe she was better at it. After all, she could see Soul Reapers and Hollows. Perhaps she could help. "Linnette, can you sense anything? Do you know what Spiritual Pressure feels like?"

"I've never tracked it before," she told him.

"This isn't some wild goose chase you're sending us on, is it, Ichigo?" Cedric asked.

"Of course not. I know he's around here somewhere. We just have to find him and capture him. Kisuke said to keep him detained until we can figure out a way to get that Hollow out of him."

Linnette suddenly pointed. "Over there! I feel something near the harbor."

Victor led the way followed closely by Ichigo and Cedric with Linnette still on his back. Ichigo could smell the water from where he was, high above the ground. He could faintly make out the boats and the docks from here, too. As they got closer, they saw him.

Yumichika was standing there waiting for them with a smile on his face.

The group stopped in front of him, keeping their distance.

"Ah, welcome! I was waiting for you," Yumichika said happily. "It's about time. I was starting to get bored."

Ichigo murmured his name under his breath, wishing there was another way.

"Come here, Ichigo. Let's chitchat."

He didn't move.

"Come on, I don't bite. Let's be friends. I'll even shake on it." Yumichika extended his hand forward, the stinger slowly coming out into daylight.

Though Ichigo knew it was probably pointless, he decided to try to talk sense into him anyway.

"Yumichika, would you look at yourself? Do you know how you sound? You must know that this isn't you."

"Of course it is!" He laughed slightly.

"But you're a Soul Reaper! Since when are you on the Hollow's side? This goes against everything you guys stand for!"

"That's because my eyes have been opened. I now see how things really are. I now see that Soul Reapers are wrong. I'm willing to put a stop to their injustice and help the Hollows rise up and take what is rightfully theirs!"

"Do you know how crazy you sound right now? Do you even hear yourself?"

"I knew you wouldn't understand… You won't see it my way until you're on our side." He held up the stinger. "This should take care of that."

"Come to your senses for crying out loud! This isn't you! You have to know that!"

"I'm more myself than ever!" Yumichika spat, now getting irritated. "Being a Soul Reaper has blinded me from the truth. Soul Reapers aren't very open-minded… I'm so glad I came to my senses in time. I mean, think about it! Hollows are only doing what is in their nature. They aren't doing anything wrong. And as far as Souls are concerned, who cares? They lived their life. Their only purpose now is to provide Hollows with what they need to survive. Soul Reapers are getting in the way of that. They even attack Hollows who have done nothing wrong. And why is that? Because they're Hollows. Hollows have been branded and will only be seen as something to be killed just for being hungry. Is that a crime? In that case, Soul Reaper should be killed, too. We've done more wrong than they have. Experimentations, torture, captivity, execution… And that's just with the Hollows. We Soul Reapers do a lot worse to our own kind, as you know! Remember Rukia when she was going to be killed for helping someone in need? How could you of all people be on the Soul Reaper's side?"

"Look, I don't agree with everything they do, either, but this isn't the way. That's no reason to turn against them and join the Hollows."

"You weren't listening at all, were you? It's what I feel is right! This is what I want!"

That Hollow clinging to his neck had him totally brainwashed. Yumichika was convinced that there was no Hollow and that this was all his doing. All his desire, his wishes, what he wanted. There was no getting through to someone like that. No matter what he said, Yumichika wasn't going to listen to reason until that Hollow was gone.

That was enough to convince Ichigo to pull out his blade.

Victor and Cedric got ready to help. "Take him alive, right?"

"Yes, we just need to capture him and figure out a way to get that Hollow out later."

"Got it."

Yumichika saw them getting ready to attack him and started laughing all over again. "You don't stand a chance against me!"

"What do you mean? You're outnumbered."

"What makes you think I came alone?" With a snap of his fingers, Yumichika summoned a swarm of Hollows to the scene.

Ichigo looked back at the others. "Take care of the Hollows first, then worry about him."

"Not a problem." Victor charged in first, his hand outstretched like a blade. He cut into the first Hollow with ease, his hand tearing through it cleanly.

Cedric positioned Linnette on his back. "Linnette?"

She nodded. "Let's go."

"Hold on tight."

Cedric zoomed in, too, using his legs to kick the Hollows away from them and his right arm to slice into them when they got close enough. There were dozens of Hollows, but somehow they managed. Ichigo didn't know what to make of this. Since when could Yumichika summon Hollows? Since when would they listen to a Soul Reaper? Perhaps they knew that this was the work of a Hollow. That must have been it. These Hollows knew of the Hollow attached to Yumichika and obeyed knowing that their true master was one of them controlling him.

As he moved in to help, he was met with the stinger. He held up his sword, blocking him. The stinger never made to it his neck as intended. They sprang apart. Yumichika stood, one hand on his sword, the other holding the stinger in his palm.

"Stop resisting, Kurosaki… It only hurts for a moment."

"Come on, Yumichika. You have to know that something's up. Since when could you do that?"

He sighed, though it was unclear if it was out of irritation or amusement. "They say that you can tap into unknown power you've had all along when you become more open-minded."

There was absolutely no getting through to him. He was totally convinced that this was truly him and there was no Hollow pulling the strings. That Hollow had him brainwashed real good.

"I give up… What's the point of talking to someone who might as well be a brick wall?"

Yumichika made the first move this time. Using his sword, he slashed at Ichigo who blocked. All they had to do was detain him. But Yumichika wasn't going to make it easy for them.

Hearing more roars, Ichigo quickly glanced over to see how the others were doing.

Victor was handling four Hollows at once, far away from Linnette and Cedric. He seemed to be doing ok.

Hollow were attacking Cedric and Linnette just a short distance away. They went after them mercilessly, not caring that a child was on his back. Normally Hollows didn't bother Linnette. In fact, they liked her. But these Hollows hadn't heard her sing yet. No doubt she was holding in her song for Ichigo's sake. She knew what would happen if she did use her voice with him around. But so far, they seemed to be handling themselves well.

That was until five Hollows attacked them at once. Thinking fast, Cedric took Linnette into one arm and tossed her high into the air. Ichigo's jaw dropped, shocked that her protector would do something like that. His hands now free and Linnette far away, Cedric was able to take on all the Hollows at once, tearing them apart with his bare hands. The Hollows defeated, Cedric held out his arms and caught Linnette safely. Linnette didn't seemed frightened at all by the sudden toss high above the skyscrapers. Knowing how their games worked at home, this must have been nothing to her. Just another game of being tossed around and caught on the way back down. She knew she was never in any danger and that Cedric would always catch her.

"Don't get distracted, Kurosaki!"

Turing back, he saw Yumichika pull his blade free and swing it again. Ichigo blocked. Taking his left hand, Yumichika swung it towards Ichigo's face. He bent backwards to avoid the stinger. Yumichika did it again with the same result.

Getting some distance between them, Ichigo jumped away. But Yumichika wouldn't allow that. He followed him. Ichigo ran in a complete circle, trying to gain some distance, but Yumichika followed him like a shadow. Ichigo turned, feeling something creep up on him and blocked. Yumichika's hand bounced off, his attack thwarted.

Frowning, Yumichika tried something else. "Bloom!"

Ichigo ran again, knowing that was his Zanpakuto release command. By the time he turned around again, Yumichika was hot on his heels, his sword's new form chasing him. Ichigo blocked the four blades, but to his surprise, Yumichika wasn't pushing against his sword. Instead, he was using the four curved blades to pull his sword in. Ichigo glanced right in time to see his left hand being thrown in his face. He couldn't use his sword to block and couldn't pull it free. Having no choice, Ichigo let go of his sword and jumped backwards.

The stinger scraped across Ichigo's sash, but never touched his skin. His kimono was unharmed. The only casualty was his sash, but that was no great loss to him.

Yumichika threw his sword away. Ichigo watched it fall onto a nearby building, landing point-down. Now he had nothing to block or attack with. He had no weapon.

"Come here, Ichigo Kurosaki!"

He had no options. He couldn't risk using his fists to block or attack in case that stinger stuck him. He had to avoid Yumichika at all costs. He bobbed and weaved, ducking everything Yumichika threw at him. Yumichika lunged at him again, putting the full weight of his body behind the move. This was Ichigo's chance. He ducked, curled into a ball and kicked Yumichika in the stomach, flipping him over his head and far away from him.

Pulling himself into a nosedive, Ichigo fished for his sword. He had only seconds before Yumichika recovered from the blow and would be after him again. The building coming up fast, Ichigo pulled himself out of the dive and ran across the rooftop to his sword.

"Ichigo!"

Hearing Yumichika's cry, he threw out his arm, grabbed his sword and turned, stinger in his face.

He was out of time.

A man in a white suit dove between them, taking the hit in his own hand. Ichigo watched the stinger pierce his hand and stop two inches from his nose.

Saved again.

Taking by full surprise, Yumichika pulled his hand free and stepped back, staring. "What the hell are you? Why don't you bleed? You're just like the other one."

Despite piercing clean through Victor's hand and out the other side, he never shed a single drop of blood. He was an invincible, superhuman imaginary friend.

"And risk staining my white outfit? Do you have any idea how hard it is to get blood out of anything? Most unsightly. Wasn't the suit bad enough without it?" Victor's clothes had been torn to shreds, multiple holes and rips from the Hollows. Victor's left sleeve was completely missing. The only thing untouched was his blue striped tie. "You alright, Ichigo? He didn't get you, did he?"

He quickly checked himself over. "N- no. I'm fine."

"Good to hear." Victor looked up at the sky. "Cedric's taking care of the last couple Hollows."

"What?" Yumichika looked up. His mini army of roaring Hollows had been reduced to two which Cedric was handling now. "What the hell are you.. _Things_?"

"No one, really. Just Linnette's legal and ever-loving guardians. That's all."

Amazing. There was no other word to describe them. They were just plain amazing.

"Ichigo."

Victor's voice snapped Ichigo out of his stunned state. "Huh?"

"You want him detained, correct?"

"Y- yes."

"Then get up."

Ichigo stood. Victor stepped aside, giving Ichigo the honors. Yumichika exchanged stunned looks with Ichigo.

"He's all yours," Victor explained.

He was allowing Ichigo to do it on his own? Not wanting to waste anymore time, Ichigo pointed his sword at Yumichika.

"Before I do this, I want to know something."

The 5th seat only stared.

"Why?" Ichigo asked. "Why did you come here of all places? Why travel so far? What are you after?"

Yumichika managed to shake himself from the shock and answered calmly. "It was all by chance. I was testing."

"Testing?"

He nodded. "I wanted to see how far the Senkaimon could take me. To fulfill my desire, I need a lot of space. The Soul Society simply won't be enough on its own. Eventually those Souls will run out and we'll need more. More space, more food." Yumichika smiled. "Running into you was just a happy coincidence."

"Three times?"

"No. Only the first time. After that, I was pursuing you." Yumichika stood casually, no longer displaying any sort of anxiety. "You see, I feel that you of all people would understand me. I mean, you are a Hollow."

"Am not!"

"Yes, you are. Don't try to hide it. I know that you are what they call a Vizard. You do have a Hollow side, don't you? I thought you'd be useful to me." He chuckled. "And let's be honest… you do have immense power. With someone with your kind of strength on my side would make me unstoppable. With you, there is no way I can lose. I've seen what you can do, taking on lieutenants and winning without even the need for your sword. You've even defeated captains. You're more than worthy."

"So that's it? You just want me for that? That's why you're after me? To bring me to your side and use me as a tool for your personal gain?"

Yumichika pouted childishly. "When, you say it like that…"

"But I'm right, aren't I? That's why you keep popping up and attacking innocent people. You're trying to flush me out so you can attack me!"

He clapped his hands together. "Bravo! You got it right! I'm so proud of you!"

"Shut up!" Ichigo raised his sword. "I'm not going to let you do this. I'm ending it!"

"Try your best, Ichigo."

In a flash, their blades clashed together once more. Yumichika managed to throw Ichigo up into the air, his left hand reaching up. Ichigo blocked with his sword. He landed on the roof and ran at him again. They clashed again. Yumichika swung his sword, Ichigo swung back, ripping part of Yumichika's kimono. Gasping Yumichika kicked him away, pulling back to examine his outfit.

"You bastard! This was new! My other one got dirty during our last fight! How dare you!"

That sounded like Yumichika alright. This only confirmed to Ichigo that he wasn't possessed at all. Just influenced.

This was no time to be thinking about that, though. Ichigo charged in for another attack. He slashed at Yumichika's sleeve, missing it. He slashed higher, nicking one of the red feathers on Yumichika's brow. Growling, Yumichika swung his sword at his face.

"Stop it!"

Ichigo sweep kicked him to the ground and pinned him to the ground with his sword. Yumichika tried to get up, but his kimono was caught at the chest by the large sword. He couldn't move without ripping half of his outfit to shreds. Ichigo turned to Victor who had been watching the fight the whole time at a safe distance.

"Victor, I got him still for the moment. Can you help me out?"

"Sure." He started to walk forward. "What do you need?"

"Some why to carry him. Can you bind his hands or something?"

"Not a problem."

Ichigo felt a sharp pain in his leg and looked down. Yumichika's stinger couldn't reach Ichigo's flesh, but his sword could. Ichigo had been stabbed by the four bladed Zanpakuto.

"Do not ignore me! I will not lose!"

"Give it up. It's over."

"Never!" Shutting his eyes tight, Yumichika pulled himself away from the sword, ripping away half his kimono and rolled free. He stood, half his chest exposed and glared at them. "You may have ruined my clothes, but you will not ruin my plains! I won't lose here!"

Ichigo took back his sword, ripping off the shredded kimono. "This time, I'm knocking you out."

Screaming with anger, Yumichika dashed his way.

The two collided, sword sending off sparks in all directions. The stinger came his way again. Ichigo turned his blade to block. Yumichika tried again. Two attacks in one. Ichigo blinked. Yumichika had his sword out and the stinger. There was no way he could block both. So he chose the ladder. Turning his body, Ichigo blocked the stinger with his sword while taking the four bladed Zanpakuto in the shoulder. It was stuck. Ichigo grimaced as he felt the blades slicing into him, scraping the bone. But now Yumichika couldn't pull it out. They were both stuck.

Now was the prefect time.

"Victor!"

"I'm on it." He charged in to help.

Yumichika's look of fear suddenly changed to an amused smile.

"What's so funny?"

Yumichika gave Ichigo a sideward glance. "I never travel alone… Ichigo."

It was something neither of them expected.

"Reign Over the Frosted Heavens, Hyorinmaru!"

Victor came to a sudden halt. "What?" His feet had been frozen to the rooftop.

Above them came a blur of white. Hitsugaya landed beside them both and shoved Ichigo away with his sword. Ichigo was thrown back, his arm free, but bleeding. Hitsugaya stood between them, shielding Yumichika.

"Are you alright, Ayasegawa?"

Yumichika smiled calmly. "Fine. I'm unharmed, though the same can't be said about my clothes."

Ichigo stared. "Toshiro?"

"That's Captain Hitsugaya, to you! How many times do I have to say it?"

It was him alright. Then why did he interfere? He must have thought Ichigo was attacking a Soul Reaper, which he was, but without good reason. He must have come to stop it and to protect his fellow Soul Reaper.

"Toshiro, I know this looks bad, but you have to listen to me. Yumichika isn't-"

"Shut your mouth! Attacking him is inexcusable!"

"But he's-"

"I'll kill you for that!" As Hitsugaya got ready to attack, Yumichika placed a hand on his shoulder.

"That's enough. There's no need to kill him. After all, he is my prize. I want him to join me. Which he will, like it or not."

Hitsugaya pulled back his sword. "Sorry. Forgive me, my lord."

Ichigo's eyes widened. "Wha… what?" _Did he just say 'my lord' to Yumichika?_ That could only mean one thing. "Toshiro… did he sting you?"

Hitsugaya looked at him. "Only once."

Once was all it took. "Toshiro, you're being manipulated now, too! That stinger makes you just like him!"

"Not 'just'. I answer to him. That's all."

"Then you're his slave!"

"I prefer to think of myself more as a loyal helper. But I'm so thankful to him for this. It's really opened my eyes. I actually feel a lot better than I have in years. I like it. Feels kind of good."

Ichigo felt a stinging on his arm and looked down. More blood was coming out of the open wound. To make matters worse, he couldn't move it. That attack must have cut into the tendon. Ichigo held his arm to stop the bleeding as much as he could.

"Looks like this dog's on his last legs…" Hitsugaya turned to Yumichika. "What would you like me to do?"

"I'll handle this. I'm the only one who can infect people, remember? I'll do the honors." Yumichika walked forward. "Just make sure he doesn't move too much."

"Yes, my lord."

"Toshiro, no!" Ichigo tired to get through to him. "You don't want to do this!"

"Yes, I do. I'm pretty sure I do." He smiled at Yumichika. "If it's what my master wants, it's what I want, too."

"Well, put, Hitsugaya." The stinger came out of Yumichika's hand. "Now hold still."

Ichigo looked at Victor in the ice. Everything up to his knees were incased in ice. He couldn't move. There was nothing to block the stinger with. Ichigo had to relay on his own speed now and had to make sure that he didn't let go of his sword.

Smiling, Yumichika made his move. Ichigo held up his sword one-handed to block.

Only it didn't move. Turning, he saw Hitsugaya holding onto the handle with both hands, keeping Ichigo's sword from moving.

"Toshiro, no!"

"I can't let you deflect it, Kurosaki. Just let him do what he needs to do."

Ichigo looked back at Yumichika. The stinger was out and ready.

"Don't worry. It only hurts for an instant. Then it's all over."

He had nothing to protect himself with. But he refused to give up. He would not become like them. He wouldn't allow it. Even if there was nothing he could do.

"Cedric!"

In a flash, Cedric had jumped between them. Throwing the first punch, he sent Yumichika flying backwards to the edge of the building.

"My lord!" Hitsugaya released Ichigo and ran after his new master. "Are you alright?"

"Are you ok?" Linnette jumped down from Cedric's back and went over to Ichigo. "You're bleeding."

"It's nothing I'm not used to."

There was a loud creaking noise as Victor finally managed to free himself from the his ice shackles. He hurried over to Linnette and Ichigo. "Are you both fine?"

"I'm not hurt at all," Linnette smiled.

"Good to hear."

They all looked at Yumichika who was being helped to his feet by Hitsugaya. He looked at every person opposing him now and knew that it was over. There was no way he could go up against these men. They were inhuman. They couldn't be cut or injured at all. It was as if they weren't real.

"Hitsugaya, let's go."

He looked at his master.

"There's no point. The time isn't right yet. Let's take our leave."

"If that's what you want."

They opened the Senkaimon together and leapt through it.

"Wait!" Ichigo struggled up.

Yumichika turned back. "There's no point in us going any further. I know my limits. What's the point in continuing if you're going to lose? Besides, I have to change clothes. I can't go around looking like this, now can I?"

Ichigo knew he was right. Yumichika knew that he didn't stand a chance against both of Linnette's guardians. The same way Ichigo knew he couldn't g up against Yumichika in this state. Especially now that he had a captain on his side.

"Don't worry. We'll be back. Soon enough."

The gate closed and the two were gone.

Victor watched them go and stared at the sky for another minute before speaking. "There's no point in going after them. Consider it a blessing."

Ichigo shook. It didn't go unnoticed.

"Ichi-"

"What the hell?" he screamed at Victor. "Why the hell did this happen? Now he's got Toshiro on his side! He's gathering more people! We're running out of time! Soon, he'll have an army! Toshiro attacked us! Now he's just like him! Damn it!"

"I don't see what yelling at me will accomplish," Victor said calmly.

"I'm not yelling at you. I'm just pissed!"

"I can see that. But there is some good news from this."

Ichigo scoffed. "I don't see how."

"We now know that the people he infects aren't able to infect others themselves. This means that building an army will take time. Not only that, but he knows that he's too weak to face us. That's why he retreated. He knows he won't stand a chance."

Victor did have a point.

"At any rate, we have to mend you up or you'll keep bleeding."

Ichigo agreed with a nod and turning in the direction of their house.

Though there was no clear winner and it looked like both sides simply ran away calling it a draw, it felt like a loss to him.

* * *

><p>Please review! ^-^<p> 


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8:**

The Senkaimon opened and the two stepped through, back into the Soul Society. Yumichika gave his hair a flip and looked up at the cloudless sky. This was a good day. Though he felt defeated somehow.

"Are you alright, sir?" Hitsugaya asked him.

Yumichika looked at his new loyal servant. This was his only one. The only servant he had was staring him in the face looking concerned. He needed more. That was his problem. Having a captain was well and good, but it wasn't enough. Even a captain, a lone captain, didn't stand a chance against everyone who went by the title of Soul Reaper. He needed more.

"I'm fine," he answered softly. "I was just thinking to myself."

"About..?"

He sighed. "Oh, I can't wait for everything to happen at long last. But I need more. As loyal and powerful as you are, you're not enough. I need more followers."

"Then we'll return for Kurosaki?"

Yumichika smiled, patting Hitsugaya on the back. "Well spoken. My thoughts exactly."

"Yo, Yumichika!" They looked up. Ikkaku was storming their way. "I've got a bone to pick with you, you dumbass narcissist!"

Yumichika took him and his words calmly. "Yes, Ikkaku?"

He stormed up to him looking pissed. "What the hell, man? We were told not to use the Senkaimon without permission! That thing's not a toy! Because of you, Squad 11 has been put under lockdown!"

"Lockdown?"

"Yeah! No one is allowed to go anywhere near that thing or the World of the Living until the Head Captain says otherwise! What the hell were you thinking? The Captain's pissed off! Now we can't take any assignments or anything because of you! We're bored stiff!"

Hitsugaya stepped forward. "It's my fault. Yumichika didn't do anything wrong. I brought him with me on a mission just now. He didn't go by himself. I was with him the whole time. You're squad's not to blame."

"Oh." Ikkaku looked taken aback by this. "Then in that case take it up with the old man, 'cause he's the one chewing us out right now."

"I will."

Ikkaku looked at Yumichika's torn clothing. "What happened to you?"

"Huh? Oh…" Yumichika looked down at his outfit disappointedly. "Just a little spat. That's all. I'm ashamed to be seen like this. I just came back to change clothes."

Ikkaku rolled his eyes. "You should wear you're battle scars proudly, if you ask me. Don't look so letdown over some torn clothing. No big deal."

"But I look like a street urchin! My beautifully modified uniform ruined! You have no idea what a travesty this is!" Yumichika whined.

"You always throw a fit over the slightest little thing. Every time you get a scratch, you flip out. 'Oh! Oh! My beautiful complexion is ruined! Woe is me!' Pathetic…"

The 5th seat chuckled a little, waving his sleeve-covered hand towards his friend. "Oh-ho… There's nothing to be ashamed of… You have to look good when fighting. What kind of impression are you leaving on your enemy. They deserve to see a glimpse of beauty once in their life before they die. You just wave your arms around widely. Effective, yes. Stylish, not so much. You need to work on that, Ikkaku."

"I don't need tips from you. I have my way and it works for me."

"Fine, fine…" He clapped his hands together, smiling happily. "Say, I have an idea! Where are you going right now?"

"To grab a drink or something since we're not allowed to do anything."

"Great! That's perfect! I'll buy you a drink."

Ikkaku looked at him. "Huh?"

"To make up for causing you such stress and all. I'll make it up to you by buying you a drink. What do you say? First round's on me!"

Ikkaku raised a brow at him. "Big mistake. You know how much I drink."

"That's why I'm only buying you one."

He chuckled. "And you said you wanted to make it up to me…" He started to walk away.

"Well, that's one less you have to buy yourself!" Yumichika called after him.

"Whatever! I'll meet up with you later, ok?"

"Got it!" Yumichika waved him off, smiling like his usual self.

After Ikkaku had left, Hitsugaya looked at his master. "You're not going to sting him?"

"Not yet. I want to get more people from other squads onto my side first. Squad 11 is strong and all… but you have to branch out, you know?"

"I think I do." Hitsugaya nodded. "Well, it's your plan. Tell me what I should do now, sir."

"Why don't you go back to your squad and do some work. I'll call you if I need you."

"Yes, my lord!" Hitsugaya flashed off.

Yumichika inhaled deeply and let out a long breath. "Perfect… My plan will come to fruition soon enough."

* * *

><p>"So that's how it is… Interesting."<p>

Ichigo told Kisuke everything that happened. Everything up to the point when Hitsugaya showed up. "So you don't think Toshiro will be able to infect other, too, right?"

"I doubt it. If it is like a bee hive thing, there is only one queen bee who rules them all and provides worker bees to do her bidding and keep the colony alive. Only Yumichika has the stinger. The people he infects don't. That way there isn't a rebellion and they'll recognize him alone as their ruler. He's the one with the power. But I'm sure that power comes from the Hollow anyway. But it's no surprise to me that Yumichika doesn't realize that something's up. Like I said, don't try to reason with him. It just ain't happening."

"Any word from Ruki-Gah!"

"… Sorry?"

Ichigo winced. "Ah..! Nothing. Cedric just finished tying off the bandage on my arm. That's all."

Cedric glanced at Ichigo's face before handed the first aid kit back to Linnette. They had been nursing his wounds ever since they returned home from the latest fight. Luckily, they weren't too bad, just painful.

Ichigo looked over his shoulder at them. They were watching him. "Do you mind?" he asked to Cedric, covering the phone with his hand. The two got up and went into the next room. He continued his conversation with Kisuke. "Anyway… Any word from Rukia?"

"She's doing ok. So far, no one has noticed anything strange about Yumichika."

"For crying out loud, look at the guy's neck! It's freaking purple and looks like a web! How can they miss that?"

"Well, think about it. That Hollow couldn't have picked a better target. Unlike most other Soul Reapers, he's made some changes to his wardrobe. His neck is covered up right where the Hollow is hiding. Unless that orange thing is removed, no one will notice a thing."

"You have a point there." Ichigo sighed heavily. "But now that he's gathering followers, it's going to be harder to detain him. Those guys are going to protect him…"

"Same why Victor and Cedric are going to protect you?"

Ichigo didn't answer.

"Hello?"

"Yeah, I'm still here. Sorry."

"Forget it. Listen, all this aside, you should really check in with your family. You have been gone longer than anyone else after all."

"Oh. Yeah, I guess I should. They must be worried. Keep me posted, right?"

"Right. I'm going to try to see if I can come up with anything to stop him or draw that Hollow out. There may be something… I'll let you know."

"Thanks. See ya." Ichigo hung up. Then he dialed another number. He waited.

There were two beeps before someone picked up on the other end.

"Hello?"

He recognized his sister's voice at once. "Hey, Karin?"

"Ichigo? Where are you?"

"In New York."

"Thought so… But I thought your class came back yesterday or something."

"Yeah. I, uh, decided to stay behind for a while. There's no problem. I'm staying with friends."

"Who do you know in America?"

"Never mind that. Listen, how's Yuzu doing?"

"Uh…" There was a rustling noise, indicating that his sister was moving around, searching for her twin. "She's in the kitchen, cleaning up. We finished dinner a couple hours ago."

He had forgotten the time differance between them. "She fine?"

"Huh? Yeah, why?"

"Nothing. Say, did anything weird happen over there at all?"

"Um… Chad stuck his head in the window yesterday. I think he was looking for you. I know you're in the same class, so I knew something was up when he was here and you weren't. Why? Something wrong?"

"No. Just checking." At least he knew his family was safe. Knowing that Chad was there looking around also meant that his classmates had gotten home safely as well. "Listen, I gotta go. But I'll be home soon, ok?"

"Ok, but as long as you're in America, bring us back some souvenirs, ok?"

"Why?"

"Hey, as long as you're there… And you owe us, for staying there longer than anyone else. And I want something good. Not something you just grab off the shelf last minute, got it?"

"Yeah, yeah, got it."

"You'd better get back here, too, ok? Yuzu's wondering where you are and if you're ok."

"You worried about me, too?"

"Nah. I'm used to it. I know how you are." He knew that was a lie. Though she never said it out loud, she worried about him, too.

"See you soon."

"Ok, bye."

"Bye."

Ichigo hung up the phone again and slumped against the wall. He couldn't wait for this to end.

"Bark, bark, bark!"

Victor and Linnette came running through the dinning room together, mistress on her servant's back.

"Faster! Faster, Victor!"

"Bark!"

"Weee!" Her giggle fit settled when she saw Ichigo. "Hey, Ichigo! You, too! Say 'woof'! Go ahead, bark!"

"No, thanks. Don't wanna."

"Aw, you're no fun…" She nudged for Victor to let her down. "So what did you and your friend talk about?"

"Nothing much. He just says to keep a look-out. That's all. All my friends are back home and safe."

"That's good!"

Victor looked at his watch. "Well, I'd better start lunch if we want to eat on time."

Ichigo didn't know what possessed him to say it, but before he knew it the words came out. "I really appreciate what you're doing for me. I'll try to finish this up quick so I'll be out of your hair. I must be a real pain to put up with."

"Not at all," Victor told him with a smile. "Linnette loves you here and it's nice to cook for more than one person all the time. You're not a bother."

"Yeah!" Linnette added. "And I like having you here! I don't want you to go yet! You never spend any time with me so it's nice that we get to now. I just wish it was under better circumstances."

"Me, too." Ichigo couldn't look at her. He knew that he had upset her when he said that he wanted to leave. As much as he liked it here, it wasn't his home. He hoped he didn't hurt her feelings. He knew that she liked him.

If only he knew the half of it.

* * *

><p>After Rukia had informed him of what was happening under everyone's nose, Byakuya started his own investigation. He took careful note of who was doing what and where everyone was going, looking for any irregularities. Yumichika had used the Senkaimon again which went against orders. Not only that, but Hitsugaya had used it as well around the same time, though he never received orders to do so. Was he acting on his own, too? Or perhaps Yumichika had gotten to the captain at some point.<p>

"Looks like he's making his move…"

Byakuya looked around his office. His squad was together here. No one had gone off anywhere recently. And Renji was, hopefully, doing his assignment as ordered in the basement.

"He's probably going to infect his whole division first… Squad 11 is known for its power." Byakuya's thoughts wavered. "No, wait. Perhaps not. If he starts doing that and the whole squad starts acting strangely, people are going to start suspecting something. Perhaps he'll go a different rout and start infecting people of different squads first so it won't be linked back to him. After all, if Squad 11 is the only one acting strangely, people will suspect it was something having ties to that squad. That must be why he went after Hitsugaya first. He's a captain and he's from a different squad. He's cunning…"

He sat back in his chair, thinking.

"There's no need to start alerting people just let, I suppose. I have no proof and no facts supporting that these are his intentions. In any case, he'll be killed if I alert the proper authorities. And if what Rukia claims is true and he hasn't become possessed, then we'll be killing an innocent man. And if this thing can body-jump, then it might result in us cornering it only to have it leave his body, saving itself and we might end up killing him for nothing while it latches onto a new host. This is troubling."

There was a knock at his door.

"Enter."

It opened and in came Renji carrying a broom. "Not to complain or anything, but shouldn't we get someone from Squad 4 to do some of this cleaning stuff, Captain? Or at the very least, someone lower than lieutenant."

"I assigned you to clean up in the basement. I cannot order someone from another squad to do it. You are more than capable of doing the task."

"But I'm a lieutenant!"

"And you're also the only one not doing work at the moment."

"Can't I take a break?" Renji whined, sounding like a child desperate to have fun rather than do chores.

"You may… as long as it's clean."

"It is."

"Spotless?"

Renji's eye twitched. "There is no way in hell that place is going to shine like new, with all due respect, sir. I cleaned the damn thing for hours!"

"Yes, but did you do a good job?"

"Yes!"

"You didn't just sweep everything into the back corner where the lights don't reach and call it clean, did you?"

Renji looked away. "Of course not."

"Really?"

"Yup."

"So if I go down there right now, I'm not going to find a massive pile in the back corner, correct?"

Renji hesitated. "I'll be right back." He left closing the door.

"That's what I thought."

Renji ran past a couple of Soul Reapers from his division but had no time to stop and chat as he made his way back downstairs, cussing all the way.

The two Soul Reapers he passed continued talking as they passed by the Captain's office. The two were about to round a corner when they saw someone who shouldn't be there coming their way.

"Sorry, about that," said Yumichika. "I didn't see you."

"What are you doing here? You're in Squad 11, aren't you?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I am." Yumichika smiled. "But I was just passing through. Don't mind me." He patted them both on the back, something sharp sticking them behind the shoulders. "Don't mind me at all…"

* * *

><p>Damn! Someone stop him before it's too late! War is coming!<p>

Please review! ^-^


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9:**

Ichigo looked at the clock on the wall above the TV in the den. 2:30. He flopped onto his back and stared at the ceiling. There was nothing he could do. Without Yumichika around, there was no way he could stop him. Even if he did, there was no way to draw out the Hollow yet without hurting or killing Yumichika in the process. Contacting the Soul Society was out of Ichigo's hands. He had to relay on Kisuke to do that as well as Rukia. So far, she had nothing new to report. But there was no way they could alert anyone on the other side without it backfiring on them drastically. If word got out that there was a Hollow involved, Yumichika would be killed, regardless. They had to keep this quiet. But in doing so, just how many Soul Reapers would become his victims?

"Ichigo!" Linnette jumped onto the couch, landing on his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. "We're going to the store! Wanna come?"

He pushed her off of him and sat up. "The store? I don't know…"

Victor poked his head into the room. "Remember what I said about being a bump on a log, Ichigo?"

He had to keep moving. The longer he sat here doing nothing would only cause him more stress and that wouldn't help anybody. Ichigo stood up, agreeing to tag along.

Putting on their shoes, they all piled into Victor's car and went into the city. Linnette sat in the front, looking out the window and playing with the radio. Ichigo sat in the back, saying nothing. They pulled onto a busy street and crawled through traffic onto another street. Victor pulled alongside a tall building and parked the car.

"Everybody out."

The doors opened and slammed shut again, Victor locking the car and turning on the alarm with a beeping sound.

Ichigo looked around. All the saw was a building. Was this the store? It sure didn't look like one.

"This way," Victor led them down the street. "The market's this way, two blocks down."

"Why'd we park so far if that's the case?" Ichigo asked.

"This is the city, Ichigo. You want to crawl through slow traffic and lights and everything while struggling to find a parking place? We always do this. Walking never hurt anybody."

Ichigo followed them down the busy street, linking hands to form a human chain to not get lost. Everyone was pushing against them, unconcerned with anyone else's wellbeing. Victor tugged them through an opening and into a store.

"Ah, here we are. That wasn't too bad. You should see the holidays."

Linnette grabbed a small cart by the front door. "This one?"

"Looks good. And I have the list right here." Victor took a piece of paper out of his front pocket. "Let's see… Bread first. We'll get the perishables last, ok?"

"Right!" Linnette pointed the cart down an aisle. "This way?"

"Yup. Keep close to me, ok, honey?"

She saluted Victor and pushed the cart down the aisle. She turned her head towards Ichigo. "And, Ichigo, you can pick anything you want to eat, too, ok?"

"I'm fine."

She shook her head. "Nuh-uh. You're a guest in the house. You get to pick things you like, too. You're always eating what I like to eat, now it's your turn."

"If that's how it works…"

"It is! Victor taught me that!"

Victor gave a small smile. "Ok, over here."

Within minutes, they started loading up the cart with different things. At one point, Linnette wandered off down the aisle and came back with a box of cookies in her hands. She tried to sneak it into the cart when Victor's back was turned.

"Linnette…" his voice came warningly.

She froze. "Please? Please can I get this, Victor?"

"How much is it?"

She looked at the box. "It was under a sign that said $2.50. So can I?"

Victor turned around to look at the box she was holding up. "You're allowed one box. Make sure it's what you want and you can put it in."

"Ok!" She carefully placed the box on top of the bread. Victor moved the box off of the bread and into the bottom of the cart.

"Next we need tomatoes and carrots."

"Ok!" Linnette pointed the cart to the left.

Victor glanced up from his list. "One box, Linnette."

She turned the cart to the right, down the correct aisle.

After that, they went to the meat in the back of the store. Linnette was now riding on the front of the cart while Victor pushed with one hand, the other on his list. "Ok, Linnette, what seems to be on sale?"

"Um…" She looked over the pinkish red colored meats wrapped in plastic. "That one!" She pointed to a yellow sign that said 'sale' in big black letters.

"Very good." Victor moved in. "Six pounds of ground beef for $4.59."

"So we're getting it?"

"Will you eat it?"

She nodded. "And whatever we don't need we can freeze for later."

He smiled. "Good girl. Now why don't you pick one out for us, hm? Remember how I taught you?"

"Yup!" She bent over the display. "Look at the dates and prices on the bottom corner. Sooner the better, right?"

"Yup. That's when it was packaged. We want the one closest to today's date."

Linnette looked them all over carefully. She lifted up some and pushed away others, looking further into the back. "Ah!" She grabbed one from the bottom in the back, pulling it out. "This says today's date on it!"

"Do you see where the pounds are?"

"Um…" She turned the package up. "Uh, yes, I do. It says… 5.48. And it has an 'lbs' written next to it. So that's pounds, right?"

"Right. That's what we want. Now wrap that in a plastic bag and put it in the cart." While Linnette did that, Victor checked the list again. "Next thing… Which would you like, Linnette? Lamb or chicken?"

"We can get both?"

"No, only one. Which would you like?"

She thought for a moment. "We had chicken the other night so lamb, I guess."

"Ok. There should be some down there. Go pick out one you like, ok?"

"Sure thing!" She hurried off, walking around an old woman and someone with another cart on her way down.

Victor glanced at Ichigo. "As we said, feel free to pick anything you would like to eat, too."

"I don't want to. I feel like I've taken too much as it is." Ichigo truly did feel that way.

The older man sighed. "It's not like that, Ichigo. We're helping each other out. No one owes anyone anything, ok? It's simply kindness." Victor's smile faded slightly. "If we're going to play it that way, then I still owe you for all that I have done."

Ichigo knew he was talking about turning everyone in his town into Hollows and tricking Ichigo into giving Linnette her powers back. "I did forgive you."

"Even so…" Victor smiled again when Linnette came up with another plastic bag over the meat, placing it into the cart on the bottom. "Very good, sweetie. Now we need milk."

"I know where it is!" She hurried off, leaving Victor to chase her with the cart. She waited her turn in front of the cooler while other people got their own. She reached for the biggest one there was.

"We only need a half-gallon, Linnette," Victor said.

She tried again, getting a smaller one from behind the other door. Getting a nod of approval from Victor, she put it into the cart.

"Now we need eggs, butter and then we're done."

She led the way to the far end of the store. Victor waited with Ichigo watching her collect what they needed.

After a while, Victor addressed Ichigo again. "So after your mission's over, you're going back home, correct?"

"There's really no reason for me to stay."

"What about her?" Victor looked at him out of the corner of his eye. "She's very fond of you, you know."

"Yeah, but… I have a family to get back to, you know. I can't just stay here."

"I'm not asking for that. But would it kill you to keep in touch some times? A phone call or a letter or something. Seeing you here was a big and happy surprise for her. She likes you a lot, Ichigo."

"Because I turned her life around and showed her that she could be happy another way?"

"There's that…" Victor sighed. "She considers you her first friend, Ichigo. She's never had one before she met you. She had fans and servants, but never friends. There's a deep bond there, Ichigo. You never forget your first real friend. It's very important. There's something very special about it."

"I know… I cherish my friends, too."

"And she cherishes you, too, Ichigo. That's why she wants to help you so bad. It's not because she feels like she owes you or anything. She's doing it because she cares about you. You're her friend."

Ichigo didn't know what to say. It did make him feel good inside to know that. Even if he didn't like her at first, even if he saw her as an enemy the first time they met each other, Ichigo was glad that he met her. She had become a good friend. And he was happy to have her help.

Linnette returned to the cart, loading it up with an armful of eggs, butter, frozen dinners, ice cream and chocolate cake.

"I said no more junk food, Linnette."

* * *

><p>This was troubling. Byakuya was deep in thought over the whole thing. He couldn't help himself. This was a bad and confusing situation. He looked down at his desktop, clear of all papers. His work was finished, freeing him up to dwell on this new and terrifying situation.<p>

_So Yumichika is gathering an army to lead a rebellion against the Soul Society… With a Hollow pulling the strings, to better understand his next movement, I'd have to think like a Hollow. Get inside its mind. Hmm… In such a situation, I would gather powerful forces first. He's bound to go after strong Soul Reapers first, such as Captains and Lieutenants. But he'll branch out and cover all grounds. He won't stick to just one squad alone. And he's not going to infect everyone. Just enough to wipe out Soul Reapers and take over. And if that's the case, then he'll most likely get rid of the infected Soul Reapers once they're no longer of use to him. He'll kill them all anyway. No. Perhaps not all of them. He'll still need a host to latch onto and feed off of. Still, I have to wonder why no one has noticed a thing yet… No, that's not right. Even I didn't notice a change in him. That Hollow is probably so weak, it's Spiritual Pressure is so low, it's undetectable. Either that or since it is sharing a body with Yumichika, he had adapted to match his signature. Or maybe he's simply hiding it. And it's as Rukia said. He's not being possessed. Yumichika is aware of what he's doing and hasn't been taken over. Only his thoughts have been swayed. But if word gets out about this, Yumichika will be killed. This isn't his doing. Remove the Hollow and he returns to normal. But our superiors won't see it that way and we'll end up killing an innocent man for nothing. The Hollow will most likely latch onto someone else once he realizes what's going on. We're only hurting ourselves in such a case_…

"Captain?"

Byakuya jumped, unaware that Renji had suddenly entered the office. "Oh. You startled me."

Renji raised a brow at him. "I did? Really? Wow. It's impossible to sneak up on you."

"I was thinking."

"You must have been deep in thought for that to happen. I've been standing here for the past minute. I wanted to ask you something."

Byakuya rubbed his forehead, feeling an oncoming headache. "What is it?"

"Nanao was looking for someone and asked me to keep an eye out. You haven't seen Lieutenant Kira around, have you?"

Byakuya shook his head slightly. "No. How could I? I haven't left my office all afternoon and this isn't his department."

"I know, but no one's seen him."

"Why don't you ask Lieutenant Hisagi? They're closely knit, aren't they? They're almost always seen together."

"I would, but Hisagi's run off with Yumichika for some reason."

Byakuya's eyes widened slightly. "What was that?"

Renji nodded, not knowing the danger. "Yeah. Saw them just a minute ago heading over to Squad 13's barracks. Why?"

Byakuya got out of his seat quickly moving around to the other side. "That's Rukia's division, isn't it?"

"Yeah, why? What's up?"

"Find Rukia and keep Yumichika away from her!"

Renji gave him a perplexed look. "Why? What's going on?"

"It'll take too long to explain."

"Try me." Byakuya shot him a look. "…Sir?"

The captain had to think. Surely there was no harm in telling Renji. Unless, of course, he had become a victim of Yumichika's newly acquired stinger. Then again, Renji had been in the basement this whole time. It was unlikely for the two to cross paths. And Renji seemed as clueless as ever.

"Alright, I'll keep it short, but you have to not tell a soul."

"Understood." Now he was interested. This must have been juicy.

"Alright." Byakuya moved closer to tell him in a hushed tone. "There is a Hollow among us."

"What?"

"Shh!"

"Sorry."

"Now… Rukia has informed me that Yumichika has become the new host body for a small Hollow that has gotten in somehow."

"So he's been taken over? He's possessed?"

"No. The Hollow's only living inside of him, using him to feed off of. It's like a leech."

"Ah."

"Well, this Hollow has plans to take over the Soul Society and get rid of all Soul Reapers in order to make room for a utopia for Hollows. To do that, this Hollow's powers can be brought out through Yumichika."

"Meaning..?"

"Meaning that Yumichika can use the Hollow's abilities as long as they're connected. This Hollow has a stinger that it can inject into another person, making them just like his host."

Renji frowned. "You mean flamboyant and obsessed with beauty?"

"No, I mean…" Byakuya sighed. "I don't know all the details either. All I know is what Rukia told me. She's been tailing him gathering information. The situation has been described as a beehive type of thing. Yumichika's the queen bee and he's gathering worker bees to do his bidding, something he does via the stinger he possesses."

"So anyone who gets stung by that stinger turns into his… slave?"

"Essentially. They'll be the same as they usually are, only they'll recognize Yumichika as their boss and answer to him and come over to his way of thinking. They, too, will be convinced that the Soul Society has to be brought down and taken over for Hollow's sake."

Slowly, Renji started to understand. "So… So that means that Yumichika's going around turning people into his little worker bees in order to take over?"

"Yes. But we don't know who has been infected yet. And Yumichika can still be saved, so alerting others of this would only cause panic and result in someone being killed. That's why I can't have you speak of this to anyone."

Renji gasped. "But he was heading over to Squad 13 with Hisagi just now! And Rukia was tailing him, right? She might be in danger!"

"That's why I told you to find her and make sure that she's ok."

"I'm on it!" Renji started out the door. "What are you going to do?"

"Whatever I can."

"What's that mean?"

"Just go!"

"Right!" Renji hurried off.

Byakuya already knew that this was going to be a disaster. But with Renji out of his hair again, it gave him more time to think. He had a bad feeling that things were about to go from bad to worse in a matter of hours.

* * *

><p>It was late and everyone was ready for the night. Linnette had cleaned her plate and taken her shower. Now all there was left to do was go to bed. Dressed in a pink nightgown, Linnette pulled Victor into her bedroom, asking him to tuck her in. He sat her down in front of her dresser mirror and bushed her hair for her. She could and had already done it herself, but she enjoyed the way Victor did it. When he was finished, he gently guided her over to her large bed covered in plush animals and pillows. Victor pulled back the covers and watched her crawl over to the center of the bed. She sat down, indicating that she was ready to be tucked in. He pulled the covers over her bare legs and up to her chest as she lay down.<p>

"All set?"

She nodded.

"Shall I read the next chapter to you? We're almost done with the book."

Her usual smile wasn't in place. She wasn't even looking at him.

"Something wrong?"

She shook her head. "I was just thinking."

"About..?"

Linnette didn't say anything for a while. "Once Ichigo's friend is ok, he's going to leave isn't he?"

"That's the idea."

"So he wants to go home…"

Victor sensed the sadness in her voice. "So you… wish for us not to help him any further?"

"No. I do! I want to help him. He's my friend. It's the right thing to do. You told me that."

"I did."

Linnette frowned, pulling the covers up to her neck. "I'm just sad to see him go. That's all."

Victor rubbed her shoulder through the blankets comfortingly. He knew how much she cared about Ichigo and knew that she would be sad to watch him go.

"But he has to go home and I know that."

Victor tried to comfort her. "It's not like you're never going to see him again."

"I know. It's just been so long. That's all… I wish he'd write more. Or call. Even if it is long-distance." Linnette turned to him. "We're going to still help him, right?"

"If that's what you want." Victor tried to sound convincing, but he still had mixed feelings over the whole thing.

"That's the matter?"

There was no getting past her. "It's just that… You've put me at quite a quandary. I mean, we're supposed to help protect you and keep you out of danger. And we're also supposed to do as you please and do as we're told. But in order to do that now, we have to allow you to go into danger in order to help a friend. It's a difficult position you've put me into. And Cedric, too, for that matter."

"But it's to help a friend!" Linnette said sitting up. "You told me that to make friends you have to be one and part of being a friend means helping one out in need. It's the right thing to do. Besides, if Ichigo doesn't win then I'll be in danger anyway when the Hollows take over. And Ichigo will be sad when all his friends are gone and his family, too. And my friends will be in danger and nothing will be the same anymore. Helping him means helping me, too!"

"Lay back down, Linnette, before you catch cold." Victor tucked her back in again. "I understand all that, Linnette, which is why we are helping him. In the long run, it will help everybody."

"And with you guys there to protect me, I have nothing to worry about."

"Well put."

Linnette smiled, giving him a hug. He loved her hugs. But they also made him feel strange. He wasn't a real person. Victor was imaginary. And yet he could hold her. They could touch and feel as if he were living. He was alive, and everyone around him thought him to be human, even though he wasn't. What was it like to be human? Did things feel the same when felt with a human hand? Since his body didn't know sleep or what it was like to need rest, days were endless for Victor and Cedric. What seemed like forever to normal humans was even longer for them. Even he had to wonder what would happen to him when Linnette's time came and she passed on like all other humans. They could only protect her for so long. What happened after that? What would happen when this warm body of hers became cold?

Victor smelled her lavender scented hair as he breathed deep, tightening his embrace.

"I love you, Victor," she whispered in his ear.

Such words tugged at his heartstrings. He loved her so much. The girl who gave him life and the girl he lived to protect and serve. Their relationship was unlike any other. The word love meant even more to him than could be put into words. It was deeply felt, far beyond what he thought humans were capable of feeling. If there was a word stronger and more meaningful than love, that would be the word to describe the feelings he had for this child. This girl who in creating him should be given the title of mother, was now is adopted daughter and in his heart his princess.

"I love you, too."

Never knowing what was going on in her servant's head, Linnette pulled back, smiling innocently at him and tapped the book on his lap. "Read the next chapter, please. I want to know what happens."

He smiled. "Very well. Lay down and get settled."

When he was finished reading to her, Victor shut off the light and kissed her forehead. The feeling of her smooth young skin lingered on his lips. He put the book back on the shelf and went out the door, closing it. He went down stairs. Everything was in its place. They had cleaned everything up after dinner, making plenty of room for tomorrow's breakfast. The table was clean and polished and the counter in the kitchen was clear. Everything was set.

He decided to go into the den to check on Ichigo. The TV wasn't on so he assumed that Ichigo had gone to bed already. It was shortly after midnight, after all. And they did have a full afternoon in the city and did have a few problems the deal with earlier in the day involving Hollows and captains turned evil. He went into the dark den and peered onto the couch.

Ichigo was fast asleep curled into a ball on the couch, exhausted. The day's events had taken their toll on him once again. Victor moved closer to lay the blanket over him, noticing something Ichigo was holding. A cordless phone was closed in his hand. Victor smiled bitter sweetly at this. He must have been waiting for another call. Victor didn't know from who this time. It could have been Kisuke or Rukia or even from his family. Ichigo wasn't a very insecure person, but he did worry a lot more than he let on. He just wanted to hear their voices and know that they were safe. All his loved ones. In times like this when you didn't know who you could trust, it must have been really hard on him.

Victor gently took the phone out of his hand and hung it up on the table lamp. He took the wadded up blanket from the corner of the couch and threw it over him. Ichigo didn't move once, out cold. Victor brushed his hand gently over Ichigo's hair to let him know someone was there looking out for him.

Ichigo's face twitched slightly and he mumbled something. "… Ruki…" That was all he managed before slipping back off again.

The whispered name had Victor smiling all over again. He was worried about his friend. That female Soul Reaper must have meant a lot to him.

* * *

><p>Aww, sweet ^^<p>

Please review! ^-^


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10:**

"Excuse me. Has anyone seen Hisagi around? I can't find him anywhere." Kira stuck his head into a room filled with female Soul Reapers.

"No, Lieutenant Kira."

"That's perfect," he sighed heavily. "I needed his help with something and he suddenly ran off. No one has seen him."

"Have you tried Rangiku Matsumoto? She's always making him do things for her. She might have seen him."

"No luck. She ran off to a nearby bar. She's been there all morning. Good thing Captain Hitsugaya isn't looking for her."

"Come to think of it, he's been missing, too."

"I thought he was in his office."

"He is, but a lot of the time, he's not there anymore. Weird."

"Think they're planning something?"

"It's not their style."

"I'll keep searching, then. Thanks for your help." Kira quickly bolted out of there. He could smell women talk a mile away and did not want to get into that again. It would always result in him having to pick who he thought was the cuter captain. That just wasn't his style.

As he turned the corner, he wasn't paying attention to the Soul Reaper coming his way from another hallway.

"Rukia! Ruki-"

Kira and Renji collided.

"I'm so sorry, are you ok?" Kira asked getting to his feet.

"No time! Rukia!" Renji started off again.

The stunned Kira brushed himself off watching him run down another hall screaming her name. "Weird. Wonder what got into him?"

Renji ran down another hallway, still calling for her. "Rukia! Rukia! Rukia! Where the hell are you? Rukia!"

He ran into Hanataro carrying a broom, never bothering to see if he was ok. Hanataro gathered himself up and went on his way to clean the next room.

"Everyone's acting so weird around here. What's going on?"

"Rukia!" Renji ran past another room, never caring who might be on the other side.

In this case, it was Ikkaku. He had made himself comfortable on the floor and slept, passed out from all the drinking.

Wriggling under the thin blanket next to him was Yumichika. He had crawled in next to him as a surprise… and sheer amusement. He rested his chin on Ikkaku's chest. He was so warm! Why did he have to snore so loudly, though? He moved his head next to Ikkaku's face.

"Ikkaku?" he whispered.

No answer. Just snores.

"Ikkaku?" he tried a little louder.

More snoring.

"Ikkaku?"

"Huh?"

"Ikkaku?"

"Huh? Wha..?"

"Ikkaku-de-ku?"

"What?" he sounded annoyed.

"You awake?"

He turned over, frowning. "Unfortunately."

"Great! I wanted to talk to you."

Ikkaku opened his eyes and found Yumichika laying next to him sharing a blanket. "Don't do that. It's not funny."

"You'd be surprised how warm your body is, Ikkaku. Kind of comfortable. Well, it would be in winter, anyway…"

Ikkaku rubbed his head, moaning. "My head…"

"That's what you get for drinking too much."

"I didn't drink too much. I know my limit."

"Ok, smart guy. Then how much is too much? How do you know when you've had enough?"

"When you pass out."

"Like you did."

"I made it back ok. I just fell asleep. I didn't pass out."

Yumichika gave him a one-armed shrug, supporting himself on one elbow. "You still didn't make it back to your room."

"So what? I'm not bothering anybody."

With Ikkaku's back to him, Yumichika amused himself by sliding his stinger in and out of his palm. Ikkaku seemed like a good target. He was strong, fierce, and a good friend. He kind of wanted him to call him 'master'. It could be a nice change. He got ready to inject him, moving his hand closer to Ikkaku's spine.

The stinger slipped back into his palm when Ikkaku suddenly got up walking over to the window.

"It's your fault anyway."

"Huh?" Yumichika sat up, stinger safely tucked away. "What do you mean by that?"

"Why I'm so bored around here!" Ikkaku groaned. "Because of you using the Senkaimon so much without permission, the whole squad can't go anywhere. We're under lockdown until the old man says otherwise. Even the captain can't go out there and kill Hollows."

Yumichika frowned. "Oh. I see. Killing Hollows…" He sat up, folding his legs over the blanket. "Say, Ikkaku… I was thinking… Ever consider, I don't know, maybe… not killing Hollows for a change?"

Ikkaku turned, unsure if he had heard him right. "What? But you like doing it."

"I know, I know… But I was just thinking that rather than do that we could, I don't know, do something else. Maybe?" Seeing the look in Ikkaku's eyes, he quickly added, "It's not fair that you guys get all the good Hollows anyway."

"Try being more aggressive once in a while."

"I always let you have all the fun, Ikkaku! It's not fair!" he whined.

"God, stop! I hate that! You're such a baby sometimes."

He pouted childishly, teasing him. "Am not!"

"Shut up."

Yumichika stood up, kicking the blanket aside. "Listen, Ikkaku…" He started walking over to him. "I had this crazy idea in mind and I was just thinking…"

"Thinking what exactly?"

Yumichika stood shoulder to shoulder with Ikkaku. "It just came to me one day. Ever think what it's like to see the world from a Hollow's perspective? You know, feel the way they feel? That sort of thing. Hm?"

"No."

"Not once?"

"Never. Why, have you?"

He shrugged. "Only a little. It seemed interesting."

"Hey, you can think however you want. I'll have no part of it." Ikkaku turned the other way.

The stinger in Yumichika's hand slowly came out, hovering over Ikkaku's exposed wrist. "Oh… I think you will… if you gave it a chance…"

A hair from Ikkaku's arm and the door suddenly flew open. The stinger retreated in time. The two looked at the door, a small Soul Reaper standing there, panting, a broom in his hand.

"Sorry," said Hanataro. "I was asked to clean in here."

Yumichika moved away. "Go right ahead. We're done here." He walked out the door. "Next time… Ikkaku…"

* * *

><p>Renji turned another corner sharply, no longer keeping track of which building he was in. He stopped to catch his breath for a minute, then continued what he had been doing for the past half-hour. "Rukia!" She wasn't where she was supposed to be. This was troubling. Where could she have been? "Rukia!"<p>

"Shh! Would you keep it down?"

Renji turned around. A captain with white hair was coming out of another room to see what all the yelling was about. "Captain Ukitake. How are you feeling, sir? You haven't been around lately."

He inhaled deeply smiling, though he still looked pretty pale. "Much better. I felt well enough to come in today. I have to thank everyone who's been sending me gifts and well-wishes. Shame I missed so much these past few days. Anything happen while I was gone?"

"Sort of." Renji suddenly remembered his mission. "Hey, have you seen Rukia around here anywhere?"

"Um… Why? Is something wrong? You look awful, no offense."

"I just really need to see if she's ok."

"Ok?" Ukitake looked worried. "What do you mean? Is she hurt or something?"

"That's what I'm trying to find out."

He looked confused. "I'm not understanding. Was she doing something dangerous or..?"

"I can't say…"

"Lieutenant, if something has happened to one of my squad members, I need to know what it is. Please tell me. I'll keep it confidential, if it's something you're worried about."

Renji didn't know what to do. Ukitake was her captain. He had a right to know what was going on. He had been out for a few days so he was in the dark about the whole thing. It was unlikely for Yumichika to turn him evil or whatever it was he did to his victims since he hadn't been here for so long. And it may help him find her faster.

"Well, sir, it's about Yumichika really."

"That 5th seat from Squad 11? Why? What's he done?"

Renji moved closer to whisper to him in case anyone else was around. "My captain found out that he may be organizing a rebellion and is somehow turning Soul Reapers over to his side of thinking. He's dangerous. He's fighting on the Hollows' side."

Ukitake looked shocked. "What are you saying?"

"Yumichika is evil… you know, for the moment. We have to stop him as soon as possible."

"What does this have to do with Rukia?"

"She's been tailing him all this time, spying on him. We think she might be targeted next. That's why we want to find her. And no one's seen her so I'm starting to get worried."

The captain looked at the floor. "I see. So that's how it is…" He raised his head to look at Renji, patting him on the shoulder. "Thank you for telling me. I understand now. This is horrible news. Why haven't you told anyone this yet?"

"Because they might kill Yumichika thinking that he's possessed or had become a Hollow, which hasn't happened at all. He's just thinking like one and is trying to help them out by taking over the Soul Society."

"I see. That makes perfect sense to me. Glad you told me." Ukitake snapped his fingers. "Oh, yes! Rukia was doing some last minute stuff for me! I sent her down the hall. If we hurry, we might still catch her."

"Thank you so much, Captain Ukitake." Renji followed him down the hall and down the stairs. He led him to the far end of the hall to a closed door.

"Ah, good. I don't think she's left yet." Ukitake knocked on the door. "Oh, Rukia. Renji is here for you." He opened the door, showing Renji inside. "Go right on in."

"Thanks." Renji stepped inside and looked around. It was dark. There were no windows. This room was so small. He stepped further in, his foot kicking a bucket on the floor. It rolled to the back and hit a couple of brooms with a clang and a thump. He looked around at the shelves of cleaning supplies lining the three walls. "Uh, but sir, this is… I think this is a closet."

The door slammed shut behind him, a click telling him that it had been locked from the other side.

"Hey!" Renji ran to the door, pounding it with his fists. "Hey! Open up! Hey! Let me out!"

"Sorry," came Ukitake's voice from the other side. "But I can't let you interfere with what my master has planned. Yumichika will lead us to a brighter future for all Hollow kind!"

Renji's eyes widened in the dark. "You… you're one of them now, aren't you? He did something to you! What did he do?"

"Opened my eyes. And it only hurt for a second. Now I've never felt better. Oh, and thanks for the tip about Rukia and Byakuya."

Him and his big mouth. He listened with his ear pressed to the door. It sounded like Ukitake was leaving. "Hey! Hey, wait! Come back! Let me out! Let me out of here!" He reached for his Zanpakuto at his side only to realize that he had left it back in his room while he did the cleaning. "Damn it! I'm such an idiot!"

* * *

><p>"What?"<p>

"Yeah, sir," Ukitake said to his master. "Every word of it. I heard it myself from Renji. They know."

Yumichika paced the floor for a moment then smiled. "No problem. That just means that we get to start this party a little early."

Ukitake returned his smile. "Shall I inform the others?"

"No, I'll do that."

* * *

><p>Rukia thanked Nemu for the gift she held in her hands. "You sure this will help?"<p>

"Yes. We tested it and proved it's power. It should to the trick."

"Thank you very much. For everything."

"Just be careful with them both, ok? It's not going to save you from every attack. It's only good for one shot."

"That's all I'll need. Thank you." She hurried off down the hall, finally able to help Ichigo bring Yumichika down. Rukia had to get a message to Kisuke fast.

She ran passed Hisagi on her way down the hall. He passed her by without so much as a second look. As he climbed up the stairs to the third floor, he ending up bumping into Ukitake on his way. He noticed the look on his pale face and had to ask what was wrong.

"Rukia knows about our plan."

Hisagi glanced back the way he came. "Should I go after her? I just passed her by. It won't take me long to catch up."

"Do as you please. Yumichika is pushing the plan forward."

"Understood." Hisagi flashed away.

* * *

><p>Back in the locked closet, Renji repeatedly threw himself at the door, hoping to break it. This door was impossibly thick, the wood reinforced. His only option was to use his sword and slash his way out, but it was forgotten back in his room. His only hope of escape was to continue to bash his way through to the other side. But that was doing nothing for him. No matter how many times he heard the wood creak, it simply wouldn't budge. Kicking and throwing his shoulder into the door wasn't working, no matter how many times he did it.<p>

After doing this for several long minutes, and resulting in nothing but a bruised arm and ego, Renji stood back to think. He had no weapons and there was nothing useful in this closet unless he planned to dust his way out.

A sudden thought occurred to him at that moment. Why he hadn't thought of it earlier was beyond him. He had a weapon all along that couldn't be taken away from him. The only downside was that it wasn't his specialty. But he had little choice if he wanted to get out of here.

Taking a couple steps back, Renji held up his hands, pointed at the door. "Hado 31, Shakkaho!"

A red fiery blast hit the door with incredible force, sending it flying down the hall. Renji staggered out coughing and fanning the smoke with his arms. His hair and face were scorched but otherwise that wasn't his worst idea in the world. At least he was free.

"Now for Rukia…" He went right back to his first plan and started running through the halls again calling her name. "Rukia!"

* * *

><p>Down the hall and on the main floor was Hanataro, continuing his chores. So far he had mopped every floor in the building by himself and was exhausted. He wished he had help. But everyone else was off doing their own thing. The rest of Squad 4 was either filing medical records of every Soul Reaper they had on file, tending to people in the sickbay or doing cleaning like Hanataro was doing. Sometimes he felt like he had dodged a bullet when he got stuck with cleaning instead of something else, but not anymore. Now he would much rather be filing papers with the other Soul Reapers. At least then he would have someone to talk to. This was so boring, mopping a big empty hall by himself.<p>

He lifted the mop up, dunked it in the bucket of soapy water and slapped it back onto the floor. No matter how many times he did this, he was always surprised with how much heavier the mop became when soaked in water. His muscles and back ached. What he wouldn't do for a nap right about now. He rested his chin on top of the mop for a second, just long enough for him to rest his eyes. Slowly his grip went slack, dozing off.

A Soul Reaper came running down the hallway towards him, going at full speed. "Ruki- Aaaaaahhh!"

Renji slipped on the wet floor, slammed into Hanataro and the two went sliding across the floor going the full length of the hall. Hanataro was the first to recover, taking the now empty bucket of water off his head to look around. Renji got up second, sitting up slowly.

"Ow! Ah, my back..!"

Hanataro gasped. "Ah! I'm so sorry! Are you ok? Let me help you. Are you hurt?"

Renji suddenly stood, "No time! I have to find Rukia!"

"But you're hurt!"

"This is nothing!" He tried to leave but ending up tripping over the mop on the floor. "Damn it!"

"Please, Lieutenant, you're injured. At least let me take a look at it."

"I told you, I don't have time! By now, Rukia might be…"

An alarm sounded in the distance, alerting everyone in the area.

"That cannot be good," Renji moaned, having a feeling what it was about.

"_Attention all Soul Reapers. Attention all Soul Reapers. This is an emergency situation. A Hollow is loose in the Seireitei. Repeat: A Hollow is loose in the Seireitei. All Soul Reapers are to report at once and eliminate the Hollow. All Soul Reapers, locate and destroy the Hollow at once_."

The message repeated itself two more times and in no time, the halls were bustling with eager and confused Soul Reapers. Everyone was reporting for the task, running outside to find it.

Renji and Hanataro watched from the end of the hall as they all raced passed them. They could pick up on a few of their conversations on their way.

"I didn't sense anything. A Hollow, here?"

"I thought that was impossible. How did it get in?"

"I can't pick up its Spiritual Pressure. It must be too far away."

"Let's hurry and find it!"

Renji gave his head a shake. "That's no good. They can't find the Hollow because it's hiding in someone else. Its Spiritual Pressure can't be felt while its in another person's body. And the thing's too damn weak. They're never going to do this. They're not looking for a Hollow, they're looking for a Soul Reaper. This will just make everybody panic and get all confused…"

_That must be the idea! _Renji thought to himself. _With everyone not knowing who the true enemy is, everyone will panic and not know what to do, allowing Yumichika to make his move. That must be his plan. No one knows what's really going on._ He looked at the packed halls. _And this makes it a hell of a lot harder to find Rukia_.

"Um…" Hanataro was looking at him. "What's going on? What's this about a Hollow in someone's body?"

"Oh, I didn't think that just in my head?"

"No, you said it out loud."

Renji couldn't risk it. Though Hanataro was acting perfectly normal, he might have been on Yumichika's side, too. Ukitake was the same way. He was acting perfectly normal, but he had been infected. _So it was true. Getting injected doesn't change the person's personality. It just changes the way they think. It makes them believe that their boss is Yumichika and that Soul Reapers are enemies. It just makes them take the Hollow's side_. He couldn't risk opening his big mouth again.

"Lieutenant?"

"It's nothing. I'm going after the Hollow, too. You just… Just stay here out of the way and if Yumichika comes along, just run."

"That's what I do anyway," he told Renji. "Everyone on Squad 11 hates me and wants to beat me up. That's normal."

Maybe Yumichika didn't get to him after all if that were the case. He still couldn't risk it. Renji leapt into the crowd of Soul Reapers and wadded his way to the other side.

* * *

><p>With all Soul Reapers dispatched and running in all direction, Yumichika gave himself a pat on the back for a job well done. His plan was going quite well, setbacks and all. Having Ukitake and Hitsugaya tip off the Head Captain about a Hollow was a great idea. There was no way Yamamoto would ever dismiss what a couple of captains would have to say about something so dangerous. Now that everyone was in a panic, it was time to make his next move.<p>

"Hold it right there!"

Yumichika turned. "Oh?"

The captain of Squad 6 was standing with his men on the steps leading to the Senkaimon.

"What's this about, Byakuya?"

"Cut the act. I know what's going on."

Yumichika frowned. "I already knew you did. Your lieutenant has a big mouth. But it's too late anyway. I have this all planned out perfectly. There's no way you can stand a chance."

As always, Byakuya was as cool as a cucumber. "Have you overlooked the fact that I am a Captain and you are a 5th seat? Our skills are incomparable. I surpass you in more ways than can be counted."

Yumichika flipped his hair back with a chuckle. "My, aren't we full of our self?"

"It's fact."

"You flatter yourself, Byakuya!" Yumichika gave him an enthusiastic shrug, arms spread high over his shoulders. "You're too proud. You think you're the best there is and try to cover up your own narcissism by claiming that you're merely stating facts. Even a peacock's feathers get ruffled from time to time…"

"You would know."

He frowned. "Oh? Harsh."

Byakuya took out his sword and the members of his squad did the same.

Yumichika frowned again, giving Byakuya a puppy dog look. "You're really going to attack me? Why?"

"I'm not going to kill you. I just want that Hollow you harbor."

Yumichika looked over his shoulder, confused. "What Hollow?"

"The one on your neck."

Yumichika patted his neck with his right hand, feeling the top of his orange customized attire. "What are you talking about? There's nothing there."

As he pulled on the neck of his clothing, Byakuya could see a faint purple web poking out from underneath. It didn't surprise him that Yumichika was unaware of it. Even if he did wear standard Soul Reaper clothing, it was on the back of his neck. He wouldn't even be able to see the marking in a mirror. Yumichika was completely unaware of the Hollow influencing him.

"I see how it is." Byakuya pointed his sword at Yumichika. "I'll just be taking you in. I won't kill you unless you make me. Surrender now."

Yumichika smirked. "If only it were that easy… Captain." He folded his arms and shifted his weight to one foot. "You're going to have to make me."

"Fine." Byakuya ordered his men. "Take him in or take him down."

None of them moved.

He ordered them again. "I gave you an order. Take Yumichika down now."

This time they moved. They all turned and pointed their swords at their own captain.

Byakuya wasn't as shocked as he should have been. He was more angered than anything else. His eyes went to Yumichika.

He was laughing. "I had the great pleasure of meeting your Squad members, one by one. We even… shook hands." Yumichika held up the stinger in his palm.

This was Byakuya's first time seeing it first hand. It was slightly curved, almost like a hook with a sharp end. It was larger than he expected it to be, longer than any or his fingers.

No one in his squad stood a chance. A stinger in the form of a single handshake had made slaves of them all.

"Well, Byakuya…" Yumichika grinned smugly at him. "What to do? What to do?"

"What do you mean?"

He slid the stinger back into his hand. "Why, this situation, of course. I mean, take a look around. You're hopelessly outnumbered. Even you, a captain, couldn't stand up against your own squad. Look around you. They're all against you. You don't stand a chance."

Byakuya looked at the look of hatred on the faces of his squad members coolly. He shut his eyes for a moment as if fighting back a headache. "You misunderstand. Your calculations are incorrect."

"What are you saying?" Yumichika said with a chuckle. "You're outnumbered. What's the miscalculation?"

"You really believe that weight in numbers will be enough to stand a chance against a captain?"

Yumichika rolled his eyes. "You really are full of yourself, you know that, don't you? Either that or you're trying to say, in your own way, that a squad's only as good as its captain."

"I've been captain for years and learned that to be incorrect first hand. If that were the case, there would be no need for a captain at all."

"Then you tell me why they aren't a threat to you."

Byakuya lifted his sword, opening his eyes to look at the light reflecting off the blade. "Power in numbers means nothing if they don't possess the skill to back it up. That is the difference between us. It's a question of skill. I surpass them in skill and power. Even if I were to cut off both arms, I would still possess more power and skill than all of them combined."

Yumichika stood back with a smirk. "Let's test that, shall we?" He snapped his fingers. "Get him."

Byakuya's men got ready to charge in. "Yes, my lord!"

In an instant, Byakuya disappeared behind the black clad Soul Reapers.

* * *

><p>This is war, people! And way to tell him off, Byakuya ^^<p>

Please review! ^-^


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**:

Rukia finished sending her message to Kisuke and was on her way to the World of the Living.

"Rukia!"

She turned. "Renji?"

Unable to stop running in time, Renji tackled her to the ground with the full force of his body in running mode. He lay atop her panting. "There you are! I was looking everywhere for you! I thought something might have happened to you."

"Like what?" She pushed him off. "What's going on?"

"Everyone's gone nuts because of that announcement. The one about-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know about that. Everyone in the Seireitei heard that. It's a total lie, though. Well, sort of. We're not actually looking for a 'Hollow' Hollow."

"Yeah, I know about Yumichika. Byakuya told me about it. He's gotten to a lot of people."

"I'll say." Rukia looked down the hall to where a couple of Soul Reapers on the same squad were fighting each other. "No one knows who to trust anymore. Everyone's attacking each other."

"I figured that was his plan all along…"

Rukia got off the floor, clutching something in her hand. "I have to get to the World of the Living. I just got a message to Kisuke to tell Ichigo to look for me. I have something that might stop him and that Hollow. But I have to get there before Yumichika does. I know he's still trying to get Ichigo onto his side because of his Hollow powers. Yumichika sees him as a valuable ally."

"Then let's get going to the Senkaimon."

Rukia winced. "Yeah, about that…"

"Oh, God, what now?"

"The Head Captain just ordered it to be closed. No one is allowed in or out until the Hollow is taken down."

"That's just perfect! We'll be here forever, considering we're looking for a Soul Reaper instead and no one knows it!"

"We have to try anyway. Let's go!"

* * *

><p>Yumichika stood stunned by what had just happened.<p>

Byakuya single-handedly defeated everyone on his squad, and in under three minutes.

The captain calmly looked at the moaning Soul Reapers on the ground. "Wouldn't have taken so long if I hadn't left them all alive."

"Going for a record or something?" Yumichika asked angrily.

Byakuya turned to him. "I told you. It's a measure in skill where true power lies. Not in numbers." He walked towards him. "Though I have to say, the odds aren't looking very good for you in that department either. Are you going to surrender now?"

"Fat chance!" He took a step back as if to run. "I always have an ace up my sleeve!"

Before Byakuya could make his move, a voice called out loudly from behind.

"My lord, are you hurt?"

Byakuya turned his head slightly to see who it was, though he already knew from the annoyingly loud voice. "Marechiyo Omaeda."

The lieutenant stood on a rooftop along with twelve other members of the Stealth Force. They had him surrounded.

Yumichika waved at them. "This man is more trouble than he's worth. Kill him!"

Omaeda bowed his head. "Yes, sir! Please forgive us, Byakuya, but it's our master's orders."

Byakuya watched Yumichika flash away towards the Senkaimon. He started to pursue him but was stopped by his new enemies.

"Crush, Gegetsuburi!"

The captain glared at them all. Because of them, he wasn't going to be able to stop Yumichika. But for now, he couldn't go anywhere. The Senkaimon was closed to all. Though he knew that wouldn't last long either.

Yumichika flashed up the stairs and onto a rooftop and jumped down, landing in front of his target.

"Ah…" He smiled at the tall white gates leading to the next world. "Here we are."

Two guards stopped him at the gate. "Stop right there. I'm sorry, but no one is allowed to use the Senkaimon until the Head Captain says otherwise."

Yumichika kept walking, pretending not to hear their warnings.

"We said stop! 5th Seat Ayasegawa, that's an order! Head Captain Yamamoto has ordered us to protect it and keep it closed! We cannot open it!"

Yumichika stopped in front of them, both within arm's reach. "I have urgent business to attend to in the World of the Living. Stand aside."

"We cannot do that!"

"Leave now!"

"I don't want to." He folded his arms.

"Leave at once!"

"Leave or we will use force!"

Yumichika sighed. "Sorry you feel that way… Hitsugaya!"

"Yes, sir!" The captain of Squad 10 showed up at that moment, flying through the air and landing at Yumichika's side like a loyal servant. "Yumichika wishes to enter the Senkaimon! Open the doors this instant!"

"I'm sorry, Captain, but we have orders not to let anyone in. Not even a captain is allowed to enter"

In a flash, Hitsugaya had grabbed one of the men by his neck and pinned him to the wall. "Open it now! Open it or I'll cut your throat!"

The two men didn't know what to think. The captain had a temper at times, but it was nothing like this. This was scary. They were both worried for their lives. The man in his hand shivered and remained perfectly still, hoping the captain would drop him soon or at least not carry out his threat if he was quiet.

Yumichika turned to the man beside him. "Now are you going to be a good boy and open the door for us?"

Shaking, he shook his head. "No! I can't! Even if I lose my life, I have my orders! I can't open the Senkaimon!"

Rather than get angry, Yumichika smiled at him. He put an arm around his shoulder in what would appear to be a loving gesture. "My, aren't you a loyal one? I must say, I'm proud of you. You're so willing to comply and follow the orders given to you by your master. I like that. You seem promising."

The stinger ejected.

"Yeouch!" The man grabbed his shoulder where the stinger had stuck him.

Yumichika removed his arm, standing in front of the large doors. "Now let's try this again. Open the door."

This time the man replied with polite joy. He now wanted to please this man and make him happy. "Sure thing. As you wish."

His partner gaped at him in disbelief. "What are you doing? Stop it! Why are you going against orders?"

The man smiled. "Because I know where my loyalties lie now. And I'm not going against orders. He has ordered me to open the gate, which I am doing."

The large white doors slowly opened with a loud creaking noise.

Yumichika smiled. "You've done beautifully."

"Thank you, my lord."

The second man looked around confused and frightened. "What's going on? What the hell did you do?"

Yumichika turned to Hitsugaya. "There's no need to kill him, but I have no use for this man any longer."

"Understood." Hitsugaya picked the man up with one arm and threw him down the stairs. "Now we enter and complete our mission?"

"Yes. We get Kurosaki… We get him on our side, or kill him. He decides."

"Yes, sir."

The 5th Seat turned to the top of the stairs. "Let's move out, you chosen to come along on this mission!"

"Yes, sir!" came the voices of dozens of infected Soul Reaper victims. Everyone reported as instructed.

Yumichika led the way through the doors to the other side. Hitsugaya followed behind alongside many other loyal servants. As they marched, Yumichika smiled.

"Ready men?"

They cried out in loud enthusiastic voices. Everyone of them was backing him up. They wanted their master to succeed.

"To the World of the Living and a better future for all Hollow kind!"

They cheered again, not one of them finding anything wrong with what he said. He had their full support.

* * *

><p>"So that's how it is, huh?" Renji followed Rukia outside and towards the Senkaimon. She had spent the last few minutes filling Renji in on their way to stop Yumichika and his army of infected Soul Reapers. "Jeez, you've been busy. Now I understand a bit better. I wasn't too clear on the details… Where do you want me?"<p>

"Just stay close. I have to get into that Senkaimon before it's too late. I know no one's allowed, but it's an emergency! We have to beat him there and get to Ichigo as fast as possible."

"Why's it always about him?" Renji muttered to himself.

They made it to the base of the stairs. Rukia suddenly threw her arm out to stop Renji. One of the guards assigned to the Senkiamon was badly beaten and laying on the bottom steps.

"They've been here already," Renji said. "I'm going up to check."

"I'm going with you."

"No, you make sure he's ok first. With any luck, the door's still open and we can catch up to them." Renji started up the steps.

Rukia saw to the man as she was told. He was alive and his injuries weren't too bad.

The man tried to talk to her through a broken jaw. "… Yumi… chika… and… cap… tain… H- Hits…."

"I know, don't try to talk anymore." She looked up the stairs. So close. "I'll handle it." She left the injured man there and started up the steps. With any luck, she could catch up to them like Renji said. But finding one of the guards here meant that they had already found a way through. It might have been too late.

"I can't let you do that, Rukia."

She stopped, something white appearing in front of her. "C- Captain!"

Ukitake flipped his long hair out of his face and glared down at her, taking out his sword. "I can't let you take another step, Rukia. I can't allow you to interfere with my master and his plans."

She took out her own sword. "So he's gotten to you, too?"

"He came to visit me when I was starting to feel better. His gifts were lovely. He even gave me a hug. It hurt a little around here…" He moved his hand over the part where Yumichika had hit him with the stinger, just below his right rib on his back. "… but that's when I knew the truth. What Soul Reapers are doing to Hollows is wrong. I support Yumichika and his plans. I want to help him no matter what."

"Captain, please! You have to listen to me. You and I both know that this isn't how you really are. He's done something to make you like this. Please let me pass! The sooner you do, the sooner you'll come back to your senses."

Ukitake pointed his sword at her. "I know he's done something to me. But the funny thing is… I don't care. I like being this way."

"That's the toxin talking! Not you!"

"Enough!" Ukitake jumped forward, causing Rukia to jump out of the way. "I said I wouldn't let you pass and I meant that. I want Yumichika to prevail. Don't get in our way!"

He started slashing at her. Rukia dodged every one, using her sword only to block when needed. She didn't want to hurt him. As he moved, his movements became clumsy. He almost fumbled his sword at one point. As she moved quickly, he stumbled to keep up with her. As he moved in for his next attack, he started coughing. Recovering in time, he slashed at her neck, missing. He ran up to her, closing the gap between them, sword raised high.

The sudden fast movement made his head spin. Suddenly dizzy, Ukitake knelt to the ground, waiting for a fast recovery. Everything was spinning on him.

"Captain, you need to stop. You're condition… Captain, you're not well enough yet." He had pushed himself to be here today. He had been sick in bed for the past week. There was no way he was well enough to return to work, let alone fight. He was pushing himself too far. His frail body couldn't take much more of this. "I promise, I'm not going to kill Yumichika. I'm not going to hurt him."

Ukitake looked up. "You mean to stop him… That's more than enough a reason for me to end you!" He suddenly stood up only to fall back down again, in a coughing fit.

"Captain!" She rushed to help him, worried.

"Shut up!" He slashed at her again. The blade missed by inches. "You may be my… subordinate… but I… Have to… I have to kill you!" The look in his eyes told Rukia all she needed to know. He truly didn't want to hurt her. But the toxin in his body was making him. His loyalty to Yumichika outweighed his heart's desire. He stood up again. "For master Yumichika! I'll keep you from stopping him!"

His sword clanged against another.

Rukia's sword hadn't moved.

The countering blade belonged to the captain of Squad 8.

Rukia stepped back out of their way. "Captain Kyoraku…"

"What's up, Rukia?" he said smiling.

Ukitake pushed against his sword. "Out of my way, Shunsui!"

His fellow captain turned back to him. "Sorry, my friend. As much as I would like to, I can't."

"Move!" he demanded.

"You haven't been yourself lately. I was getting worried about you. I thought something was up. And you attacking Rukia and all confirms it. You are not yourself."

"Back off, Shunsui! I mean it!"

The lay-backed captain glanced to the side to look at Rukia. "I take it you know what's up, right?"

"Yes." She was still shaking slightly, but she kept her nerve. "He's been infected with a toxin that makes him believe that Hollows are the good guys. Anyone who says different is an enemy in his eyes. Yumichika's the one who's infected him and many others."

"I take it that's the short version, am I right?"

"Yes, sir."

"And Yumichika?"

"He's the same as them. A Hollow is responsible for all this."

Shunsui looked back at Ukitake, though he continued to address Rukia. "And I also take it that you're going after him in order to put an end to this, right, Rukia?"

"Yes, sir."

"And return our friend here to normal as well, right?"

"Yes."

His smile widened. "Well, then… The least I can do is stall him for a while and let you get a head start." His face became serious. "Go on."

She nodded, giving her thanks and flashed off.

"No!" Ukitake shouted. "I won't let you!"

Shunsui stepped in his path, blocking him. "You can go after her when you finish with me." He looked the other captain up and down. "Although… I doubt you'd get far either way."

"You calling me weak?" Ukitake started coughing again.

"Calm down, Jushiro. Get anymore worked up and you'll start hacking up blood again. We don't want that to happen."

Ukitake shot him a death glare. "I don't care about that!" Another cough escaped him.

"Don't do this…" Shunsui looked upon him with pity.

His eyes lifted to Shunsui again. "You're my friend for many, many years… and I care about you deeply… But if you get in my way, I have to kill you, too. I can't let anything stop my master."

"Your 'master', huh? Ha ha… That's interesting."

"Stop laughing!"

"No, no, it's not like that… I just find it interesting, that's all. No need to get mad." Shunsui got serious again. "But you really do need to stop. Quit while you're ahead, my friend. Please. For me?"

Ukitake panted, still feeling not one hundred percent. "I can't. Even if I die… I can't disobey. Yumichika ordered it. I must carry it out, no matter the cost."

The other captain sighed. "If that's how you feel, there's no talking to you. I can't convince you otherwise."

Ukitake took his sword in both hands and charged forward with a loud cry. He didn't want to. He really didn't. But he had to. As much as he cared for his best friend, his devotion was to Yumichika first. He was more loyal to him than anyone else. He would kill his best friend for him. As much as he wished he didn't have to, he had to do it. If this man was against his master, he had to do it. Any threat or enemy to his master was an enemy to him as well. Friendship meant nothing to him anymore.

"Haruaaagh! Ukitake pointed his sword.

Shunsui stepped aside, getting his colorful jacket sliced in half. Ukitake recovered and tried again. Shunsui threw his sword aside, bracing himself. He moved aside just in time, taking the blade in his left arm. As Ukitake was propelled forward from the attack, Shunsui remained stationary, Ukitake driving himself into his balled up fist. He never saw the attack coming, slowing sinking into his stomach. It knocked the wind out of him.

A thin red line appeared on Ukitake's chin, coming from his lips. A stifled cough was the only sound he managed to make. He slumped forward, unable to move anymore.

Shunsui knelt to the ground, taking Ukitake down with him and guiding him to the floor. He pulled the sword out of his arm and lay it next to his unconscious friend. "Sorry I had to do that to you, but knocking you out was my best option. Hopefully you won't remember that when you wake up. If not, I hope you'll forgive me."

He heard shouts in the distance and swords clanging together and small explosions. It was an all-out war. No one knew who to trust anymore. In everyone's eyes, the ones who weren't with them had gone insane. Shunsui remained with Ukitake for now, not wanting to leave him my himself in this condition.

"Do what you have to do, Rukia. And please hurry."

* * *

><p>Please review! ^^ This is war!<p> 


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12:**

It was early. Linnette was already eating breakfast and looked at the puzzle on the back of the cereal box. Ichigo wasn't up yet by the look of things. Victor decided to find him. He was still on the couch where he had left him. Victor sat in front of the couch, staring at him. He touched Ichigo's hand.

"Ichigo."

He wasn't asleep, but his eyes were closed.

"What's wrong? Aren't you hungry?"

He shook his head.

"What's the matter?"

Ichigo turned away, pulling his hand from Victor's.

"Ichigo, tell me."

"Why? You don't care."

Victor chuckled softly. "You're right. I don't care."

Ichigo was surprised, not by his answer but that he had the guts to admit it out loud.

"But Linnette does. She cares deeply for you. And in that sense I have to care somewhat. It compels me to ask."

"Why?"

"Because if you're upset, she's upset and we don't want that so we have to care. It's not you so much as it is her. We have to make sure you're ok for her sake. She has also asked us to take care of you and help you, so it's not like we have a choice."

Ichigo scoffed. "I knew it."

"However, we do care about you in some ways. We do have feelings, you know. But Linnette comes first and foremost. Understand? It's her we are here for, not you or anyone else."

"In other words you want me to know that I can't blame you for that, is that it?"

Victor sighed. "I know you're upset Ichigo and I know that it's not about your friend or the fact that you're living here with us."

It angered Ichigo how Victor could read him like a book. Was he really that obvious?

"But I cannot read minds so you have to tell me what's up with you. Understand?"

Ichigo still didn't look at him and kept his back turned. "I'm not very good with sharing my feelings, you know that. I'm not a talking kind of person."

"So? Try anyway. Make me understand."

Ichigo sighed heavily. This wasn't easy for him, considering that he himself didn't even fully understand what he was feeling. "It's just that… You know. I… Look, yes, it is Yumichika I'm upset about. But you're right, it is more than that. It's the fact that he has that stinger that upsets me the most. You saw what happened to Toshiro. He was the same person, but it made him loyal to Yumichika. It makes people betray you, you know what I mean?"

Victor was silent, listening to him.

For no apparent reason, Ichigo suddenly got angry. "Why aren't you saying anything?"

"What would you like me to say?"

He didn't have an answer to that. All he could think about was that stinger. "Because of that stinger, anyone and everyone who gets hit by it will come over to his side. They'll turn against their friends! Toshiro attacked me! The same thing will happen if Rukia gets hit by it, or Renji or anyone! They'll think I'm the enemy. I know it's happening right now. That's why he ran off. He's getting more people onto his side. I'm going to have to fight against my own friends at some point! I won't know who to trust anymore! How do you think I feel?"

The thought of having to fight against his loved ones was painful. If they attacked him, he wouldn't know what to do. They may have been the same people, thinking and acting the same, with the same memories and everything, but they would do anything Yumichika said. They would even attack Ichigo if they were ordered to. And what if Ichigo got stung by it himself? He could only avoid it for so long. If that happened, he would attacke his loved ones anyway and do whatever Yumichika told him to. He would fight for Hollows, not against them. He couldn't trust anyone. He was scared and he knew it. As much strength and power as he had, it was all useless against something like this. What could he do? He felt so helpless.

Victor sat with his back to the couch, leaning against the front with a small grin. "At last, you and Linnette understand each other."

For the first time in five minutes, Ichigo looked at him. "Huh?"

"You heard Linnette's past, didn't you? You know that she was an orphan, right?"

"… yes. But what does that..?"

Victor looked him in the eyes, tuning his head to one side. "Ichigo… she lived everyday in fear, never knowing who to trust. No one helped her. The people who claimed to be her friend betrayed her, bullied her, hurt her. Even the adults were mean to her, always taking the bully's side, saying how they were good and that she should just let them do what they want. The other children would steal what little she owned, hide it, break it, keep it, do whatever they wanted and there wasn't a thing she could do to stop it. On adoption day, parents would always pass her by, never giving her a second glance. How could there be unconditional love when these parents adopt a kid based off of what they would want, like objects on store shelves? No one ever wanted her, Ichigo, and they made a point of telling her so. She never felt loved or safe. The children even told her that if she left and never came back, no one would even care. So one day she put it to the test and ran away. No one ever looked for her. No one cared, just as they said."

Ichigo looked down. That must have been hard for her. The people she lived with were all bullies and no one cared for her at all. No one even looked for her when she went missing.

"She lived on the street in this city for a full year with nothing. No one helped her. No one cared. She was only picked up and taken away for being a nuisance. She went to a new orphanage where the same thing occurred. People would be friendly to her, act like they were her friend, have her tell her secrets and fears to them. Afterwards, they would use that against her, turn other kids against her, hurt her, betray her. It was all the same thing. She was miserable. I mean, the girl's own parents didn't want her anymore so they left her behind when she was a baby. Who the hell could she trust?"

No one, that's who. No wonder that poor girl resorted to blackmail in order to have friends that would stay.

"Ichigo, do you know what her worst fear is?"

He could think of plenty of things a young girl would hate. Spiders, bugs, the dark. Knowing he would guess wrong, he shook his head.

"It's not the dark, it's not bugs, it's not storms, it's not falling or heights or monsters or anything like that." He looked Ichigo in the eyes with all seriousness. "Ichigo… She's afraid of being alone."

Alone.

"There's nothing more painful than that. No matter what you're going through, it's always easier when you have someone there with you. Someone to comfort you, to help you, to protect you. She had nothing like that. She had to go it alone always and for everything. Humans are social animals. They can't live without companionship. That's why she wished for us to save her. She wanted a home with a nice family that would always be there for her. She wanted someone who would never leave, someone who would never hurt or betray her. Someone who would take care of her and help her and give her what she wanted, whatever it may be. She wanted love. So we came to be. Now she never has to be lonely again. Not while we're around."

What could Ichigo possibly say to that? She had been dealing with this all her life. Ichigo only had to suffer through such pain now. A couple of days meant nothing compared to that. He knew that he could beat this. He knew that it would end. In her case, nothing was certain. It was just one Hollow causing all this suffering and confusion. Take that down and the rest would follow. Putting things into that perspective, Ichigo did feel a lot better. Yes, maybe he would have to fight his friends, but he wasn't alone.

"We will help you, Ichigo. It's what Linnette wants and it will help us out in the long run as well. Even if all your friends fall victim to him, you'll still have us."

Despite everything they had put him through in the past, Ichigo was glad to hear that. For once, they were on the same side. They would fight together.

Ichigo gave Victor a grin. He did feel better. A lot better. He would get through this, just like he did everything else.

Victor patted his shoulder. "Now, how about some breakfast, hm? Linnette's having cereal and toast. Want some?"

"Sure, I guess." Ichigo got off the couch. He wasn't over the hopeless feeling, but he felt well enough to stand on his own two feet.

Throughout that morning, Ichigo took note of everything Linnette was. She may have been thirteen, but she still acted like a child. Then again, she was a girl and a lot of them never grew out of stuffed animals and cute things. He also took note of the things she could and could not do. There were some games she wasn't very good at. Some things she had a natural talent for. Aside from her singing voice, she was an average normal girl.

She was playing with Victor again in the den while Ichigo watched. On all fours in a suit, Victor bounced Linnette on his back in a pony ride. She hung on tight as he bucked and made pony sounds. There was a lot of love between them, Ichigo could tell. She waited so long of a loving family. Maybe they weren't real, but they were to her and anyone else who looked at them going down the street. They took care of her and helped her. They loved her as much as the next parent would their child. They loved her with all their being and she loved them right back. With them, she would never be alone.

Maybe someday, though. Ichigo had thought about it before. What would happen to them when she passed on? They already understood that they were here for her and because of her. They already knew that if she died, they would, too. It made sense that they would. But what Ichigo wanted to know was what happened to them after that? Was there an afterlife for a pair of men who were never actually alive the begin with? They didn't age, they were never born the way a normal human was, they were superhuman. What would happen to them when that time came? Did they ever think about this themselves?

Linnette bounced off Victor's back and jumped onto the couch landing on Ichigo's lap. "Will you play with us, Ichigo? Please?"

"I don't really feel like…"

"Just for a minute?"

He moaned. "What do I have to do?"

"Just play! Here, watch." She grabbed Ichigo's arm and pulled him onto the floor beside Victor. She got down with them. "We could play pony."

"Pass."

"Ok… We could play doggy, too. That way I get to hear you bark, Ichigo. You haven't done it yet."

"Anything else?"

"Um… Video games." She looked at the suited man. "Can we?"

He was smiling when he gave her his answer. "I don't know. You know we only allow you two hours of video games a day, honey. And Ichigo's the guest. He gets to decide. Why don't you ask him what he wants to do?"

"Ok. Ichigo what do you want to play?"

He tried to think of a game. It had been so long since he had last played child games. Not since his sisters decided to mature. "Hm… We could play soccer or something outside."

"Sure! Can we, Victor?"

He nodded. "There is a ball in the garage. I'll get it for you." He stood up to fetch them the ball when the phone suddenly rang.

Ichigo flinched. Remembering that this wasn't his house, he waited for Victor to answer it this time. It could have been a call for them again.

Victor went into the next room to answer it. He was gone for a few seconds then came back into the room. "It's for you, Ichigo."

He snatched the phone away. "Hello?"

"Ichigo!" came Kisuke's voice. "I just got word from Rukia. She found a tool that may help you contain Yumichika and the Hollow."

"That's great."

"That's the good news. The bad news is, Yumichika is coming your way. The Senkaimon was opened a minute ago. He should be there soon."

"Anything else I should know?"

"Um… Oh, yeah. He has an army with him of infected Soul Reapers all ranging from captain to seated officer."

"What?"

"Surprise!"

"Hat-and-clogs!"

"I know, I know, sorry. You'd better get going. They'll be there shortly. Keep an eye out for Rukia as well. She should be heading your way, too."

"Thanks, got it!" Ichigo hung up and turned around.

Linnette and Victor were waiting with Cedric who had just come in from outside. They waited for the news.

"They're coming. He has an army with him."

The two men looked at Linnette.

Her face showed a rare state of seriousness. "I'm coming to help you. Let's go, guys!"

They nodded.

Dressed in a suit and the other in casual clothes, the two men carried the girl dressed in a sapphire dress into battle. Leading the way was the team's only Soul Reaper. Ichigo was pumped and nervous. Knowing that he wasn't alone made him feel better and knowing that Rukia was ok and had a device capable of helping them win, Ichigo felt empowered.

Losing wasn't an option. They had to win. They were going to beat this.

"There!" Linnette pointed.

Ichigo noticed it, too. Large circular doors opened in the sky, allowing the army leader to enter their world. Behind him came his army. This was less encouraging. His army literally was an army. More Soul Reapers than he could count came out of the Senkaimon with Yumichika, all ready for battle. Were they all here for him? Did Yumichika want Ichigo that badly?

Yumichika glanced down and noticed the small group. Four against several dozens. Those weren't good odds and everyone knew that.

"Last chance to join us, Ichigo Kurosaki!"

"And if I don't?"

He sighed. "You still don't get it, do you? You're on the wrong side! I realize now that Soul Reapers are wrong! When will you wake up and see the truth? Soul Reapers make the laws that must be followed regardless. They never listen to anyone but themselves. They're selfish. And they claim that Hollows are the bad guys? Isn't it a Soul Reaper's job to take care of Souls? Well, Hollows are Souls, too. And they kill them? It makes no sense! It's not justified. Hollows are living beings, too, and Soul Reapers feel they have the right to kill them."

"Hollows attack other Souls and the living, too!" Ichigo argued. "It's for the greater good, and in killing the Hollow, they're purifying them so they can cross over."

"That's crap!" Yumichika shouted back. "If Hollows want to attack people, let them! It's in their nature. Why are they the bad guys for doing what comes naturally? You of all people should understand, being part Hollow yourself. You should be with us. You should be fighting with us, not against us. Are you turning your back against your own kind?"

There was no point in telling Yumichika anything different. He knew his mind was made up. Anything he said would just go in one ear and out the other. It was pointless to argue.

"The way I see it, you have two options," Yumichika told him. "Since I know how powerful you are, I really would like to have you on my side. If not, then I can't let you try to beat me. So here are your choices. One: you join me and live. Or two: you don't, and I kill you. Pick one."

Ichigo didn't have to think about it. "I refuse."

"Which one?"

"Both of them!" He pulled out his sword. "I choose to live and bring you and your army down!"

Yumichika looked disappointed but entertained either way. "Have it your way." He snapped his fingers.

At the signal, his army of Soul Reapers attack. Like a black titalwave, they rushed him.

"Victor! Cedric!" The cry came from Linnette.

They understood her unspoken wishes. Nodding, Cedric switched her to a better position on his back, freeing up his hands for battle.

"I'll take care of the ones on the left," said Victor. "Cedric, you take the right."

"Got it."

"Ichigo, we'll leave the ones in the center to you."

He looked around. "But… wouldn't it make more sense to go after Yumichika first?"

"Not if these guys are going to protect him no matter what. They'll get in our way like last time. It's best to take them out first, then go after the boss. We have to wait for Rukia to show up with that device anyway, right? It's supposed to help us detain him. She's not here yet, so it's best if we buy some time until she gets here and take care of his forces to make it easier for us."

Ichigo agreed. "I didn't think about that. You're right. Let's do it!" He took out his sword, bandages uncoiling to reveal the sharp blade.

"Hang on tight, Linnette," Cedric told her.

She nodded and wrapped her arms around his neck. Cedric shot off like a rocket into the crowd.

Victor watched them for a moment, making sure they were alright then turned his attention to the Soul Reapers on the left. They were all rushing towards him and Ichigo. The next moment, they were in the air, crying out in pain and surprise. It happened in an instant. One moment Victor was there, and the next he was in the center of the crowd, taking care of his oppenants in the blink of an eye.

Ichigo didn't even see him move. His speed surpassed that of a Soul Reaper's flash step. Noticing the men in front of him, Ichigo lifted his sword to take care of them. He had to be careful. These men weren't really doing this. They were just following orders. He couldn't kill them. He had to remember to hold back.

"Getsuga Tensho!"

The black and red blast sliced through them all, sending them flying in all directions. Ichigo charged in to handle the rest. Several more Soul Reapers flooded him, swords pointed.

Yumichika watched calmly from his position at the top. This was rather amusing to watch. It was entertaining. "This could go on for some time, considering how he refuses to kill any of them. But it's a win/win for me either way."

Hitsugaya looked at him. "Um… how is that exactly? I thought you wanted Ichigo to join you."

"I do… but only because he would be valuable to have. With his kind of power, there's no way we could fail. Even you think he would be a match for Head Captain Yamamoto, don't you?"

Hitsugaya hesitated, thinking. Then nodded. "I suppose he would."

Yumichika patted his shoulder. "You see, if he refuses to join us, then killing him would be the next best option. I'd rather have him dead than oppose us. If he joins us, we'll win for sure. If not, we risk losing because he'll fight against us. The way I see it, if he dies, he can't do anything to stop us. Win/win, you see?"

Hitsugaya thought about it. It all made sense in that regard. "I understand now. Thank you for clearing that up, sir."

"Think nothing of it." Yumichika watched another couple men go flying high overhead, not caring.

"My lord…"

He turned to Hisagi who was standing on his right looking conflicted.

"My lord… our men don't stand a chance. They're being defeated so easily."

"So what do you want me to do about it?" He gave Hisagi a grin. "Are you saying you would like to fight?"

Hisagi frowned. "Well… no, I don't want to… But… if you were to order it, I would. In a heart beat, I would."

Their leader sighed. "In chess, the pawns go first. They're the weakest and most unappealing ones. What do I care if they get defeated so easily? I have stronger men waiting in back. Let them have their fun. Then I'll send you in."

Hisagi didn't look relieved. He was still concerned for their troops. But he didn't dare say anything against his master.

Another cry on the battle field.

Ichigo slid back, hurt. One of the Soul Reapers managed to cut his left arm. It wasn't deep, but it was painful. Though he may have been trying not to kill them, the same couldn't be said for them. But he had to fight back. He clashed swords with another. Four more jumped him from behind. This wasn't a fair fight in the slightest. He kicked one of them in the stomach, using their body as a springboard and flipped over backward, soaring over their heads. He landed, only to be met with another.

"Bakudo 4, Hainawa!"

Ichigo's arms were suddenly tangled up in a glowing rope. The caster pulled on the ropes, forcing Ichigo's arms behind him, along with his sword. "Crap! I forgot they could use kido, too!"

Using his legs, Ichigo kicked the other Soul Reapers away as best he could. He bent over forward, turning his body completely around. The action forced the caster of the spell to fall forward, releasing his hold on the ropes. Ichigo was free and bashed the Soul Reaper in the head with the back of his sword.

"Hado 31, Shakkaho!"

Ichigo took the attack at point blank range from another caster. He was blown back and slammed into something soft but firm.

"Are you alright?"

Ichigo looked up. He was caught by Cedric in his chest. He slowly nodded his head. "Y- yeah. I'm fine."

"You're bleeding."

Ichigo looked at his left arm. "… it's nothing." Ichigo was surprised by how warm Cedric's body was. Like was... alive.

"Look sharp!"

Ichigo was suddenly spun around in Cedric's arm as a new opponent came into battle. Holding Ichigo in one arm, Cedric fought the man off with the other. He grabbed the man's sword in his bare hand and threw it aside. He wasn't cut. He grabbed the man's arm and threw him into the air and far away from them. Cedric spun around again, looking for any other attackers. He helped Ichigo to stand.

"Alright?"

"Huh?"

"Are you alright?"

"Oh… Yeah. Thanks." Ichigo was still stunned. By everything. The sudden attack, Cedric's power, the fact that he couldn't be cut, but mostly by how alive he was. Cedric wasn't a tool and neither was Victor. They weren't just made up people conjured from nothing. They were alive. They could think and feel and act on their own just like anyone else. They were real.

"Hi, Ichigo!" Linnette popped up over Cedric's shoulder, smiling cutely. Seeing this act reminded Ichigo a lot of Kenpachi and Yachiru. "How are things going for you?"

"Uh…" Ichigo shook himself from his stunned state. "Fine. I'm doing good. You?"

"Not hurt at all, thanks to Cedric! I'm perfectly safe."

Cedric looked up at the sky. More were on their way. "Linnette, stay hidden as best you can and hold on tight. I'm going to jump."

"Ok!" She gripped him tightly and shrank back behind him so only her fingers were showing. "Be careful, Ichigo."

Cedric jumped straight up, on the attack again.

Ichigo listened to Linnette giggle as Cedric fought their new enemy. Was this all a game to her? It was a lot better than being afraid, Ichigo admitted that.

This was no time to be thinking of anything else. He had to take care of the others before he could get to Yumichika.

The very man he wanted to bring down and save was starting to yawn. "I'm getting bored. It's the same old, same old…" Yumichika looked around. "Boring."

Hisagi and Hitsugaya watched him turn his body to the right, walking away from the battle. "My lord?"

"It's boring! Even my own men can't be defeated gracefully. It's ugly. I can't watch this anymore."

"You wish to leave?"

"Are we retreating already?"

"Of course not!" Yumichika looked back at them with a grin. "I'm just going to make things a little more interesting." He put his thumb and pointer finger into his mouth and gave a loud shrill whistle.

The sky above them began to open up in multiple places.

Ichigo stopped to watch as dozens of Hollows began to enter their world. "Damn, not this again! He just can't make this easy, can he?"

The Hollows didn't care if their orders came from a Soul Reaper. They knew that it was one of their own pulling the strings. Their orders were really coming from him, not Yumichika. And as long as they got to kill, they could care less. Roaring, they entered the Living world and started to attack.

Ichigo took his sword into both hands. These he could kill.

"Bakudo 62, Hyapporankan!"

Ichigo dove out of the way from another kido attack. "Damn it, would you knock it off?"

Yumichika started laughing. "Now this is what I'm talking about! This is more like it! Let's see where this leads us, shall we?"

Hisagi and Hitsugaya smiled, happy that their master was enjoying himself so much.

"Ichigo doesn't stand a chance now. He'll either join us willingly or get killed trying to flee. There's no other option for him to take. It's serve or die!"

"Oh, really? Is that right?"

The trio turned around.

Renji accompanied by Rangiku, Kira, Byakuya, Ikkaku and Rukia had just come through the Senkaimon on their own. None of them looked happy at all.

Yumichika was unfazed. "Oh, so this is your army, huh? Pathetic."

"The others are in the Seireitei cleaning up your mess," Byakuya answered coolly. "It's all-out war back there thanks to you and your tricks."

The 5th Seat giggled. "You flatter me."

"It's no laughing matter. No one knows who to trust anymore. An alley could become an enemy in just a few short seconds. This is all your fault."

Rangiku looked at her captain sadly. "Captain, why? Why are you doing this?"

He looked at her indifferently. "Do I really have to explain it to you, Matsumoto? I'm doing the right thing."

"But, Captain… the Hollows…"

"Have suffered long enough under our rule. It's time for a change."

"That's nonsense, Captain! This is all Yumichika's doing. Can't you see that? He's-"

"He's the one I serve now! And I don't care what any of you have to say! I follow his orders and his alone! Got that?"

Rangiku looked heartbroken. This was a new version of the captain she didn't want to see. She didn't like this version at all.

"Hisagi…" Kira said quietly. "You, too?"

"Yes," he answered. "I… Yes."

Kira looked him up and down. "You look like you don't want this at all."

Hisagi looked away. "I'm… just following orders…"

"Even if it means fighting your own friends and losing them in a needless fight?"

He looked like he was holding back his emotions. He avoided Kira's eyes by closing his. "If it's what my master wishes, I have no choice."

Ikkaku pushed his way to the front. "And you?" He was looking at the one behind it all. "You actually want all this?"

"I see no reason not to," Yumichika smiled. "And I'm having fun doing it. I love it."

"That's the damn Hollow talking."

Once again, Yumichika's face was crossed with confusion. "What Hollow? What are you talking about? This is my decision and mine alone. What makes you think I'm being controlled by something? I'm not. I'm talking to you normally, aren't I? For the last time, I am not a Hollow."

Ikkaku's expression of anger never changed. "Then rolled down your top."

"Huh?" He looked surprised.

Ikkaku gestured to the orange garment he wore around his neck and shoulders on his own body.

Sighing, Yumichika pulled down his collar. Nothing was there.

"Other side, too."

Rolling his eyes, Yumichika repeated the action to the other side, revealing the light purple mark on his neck.

Ikkaku's eyes narrowed. The others looked on with stunned amazement. From the look on Yumichika's face and by his actions, it seemed that he truly had no idea it was even there.

Renji stepped forward. "Army or not, you don't stand a chance. Just give up."

Yumichika laughed. "Like I'd surrender to you. You're going to have to make me. Either that…" he allowed the stinger to slowly slide out of his palm in front of everyone. "… or you could join me. The more the merrier."

His silence was taken as a 'no'.

"Fine. Then you'll have to-"

Ikkaku jumped in first with his own weapon only to be held back by Hitsugaya.

Yumichika smirked at Ikkaku, blade three inches from his face. "Temper… Haven't I always said that about you, Ikkaku? Couldn't even let me finish talking."

"Shut up!" Ikkaku gave him a death glare. But there was something else in his eyes.

Yumichika brought his face closer to look. Such anger and pain in his eyes. "Oh… oh, are you really that upset that we're on different sides now?"

"That's not why I'm pissed off."

"You look so sad…" Yumichika mocked.

"I am not sad!"

Another sword came out to strike Yumichika only to be blocked by Hisagi. He held back Kira with his own blade, never letting him near his master.

"I'm not the only one you need to worry about either." Yumichika point at the dozens of Hollows in the sky. "I never travel alone." He looked at the two Soul Reapers fighting for him. "You two have fun. I have an Ichigo to find. Ta!" Yumichika flashed away.

Byakuya looked at his sister. "Rukia, go find Ichigo. You have a method to defeat him, right?"

"Y- yes."

"Then go. We'll handle the rest."

Nodding, Rukia hurried off to find Ichigo.

* * *

><p><strong>Please review! ^-^<strong>


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13:**

Badly beaten and bleeding, Ichigo slumped, panting. There were too many. There were too many Hollows and too many Soul Reapers trying to kill him. He looked around. He was surrounded again. Staring them down, Ichigo held up his sword.

Two Soul Reapers pointed to him at once. "Hado 33, Sokatsui!"

He couldn't get out of the way in time.

In a flash, Cedric had jumped in front of him to take the hit. He was undamaged.

Ichigo looked up and saw Linnette waving at him. "Hi, Ichigo!" Cedric jumped away to attack someone else. "Bye, Ichigo!" She was having way too much fun with this. Didn't she realize the danger?

He took this opportunity to scan the sky for any signs of Rukia. All he saw were black kimonos. How could he possibly find her in this crowd? Maybe she wasn't here yet.

"Ichigo! Behind you!"

He spun around. A Soul Reaper had snuck up on him from behind.

"Hado 58, Tenran!" A tornado-like blast came from the right, aimed directly at the targeted Soul Reaper and sending him flying away from Ichigo. Rukia landed in front of him, looking around for anyone else who may have been sneaking around.

"Rukia!"

She turned. "Ichigo, how are things going over here?"

He gestured all around him. "How do you think it's going?"

"The Soul Society isn't much better. Captains are fighting their own squad members and no one knows who to trust. Everything's in chaos. It's friend against friend."

Ichigo frowned, fearing that would be the case. Then he remembered what Kisuke had told him over the phone. "Rukia, you have something that can stop Yumichika?"

"Oh." She fished around in her kimono for something. She pulled out a small round ball with a snowflake design on it. "This is all I could manage. Anything else would have killed him or done nothing."

"What is it? Is it going to split them up?"

"No. I got this from Nemu in Squad 12. Captain Mayuri was trying to create something else but came up with this instead so he was looking to get rid of it. It's supposed to freeze a target in place so they can't move or go anywhere, including things trap inside their body."

"Couldn't you just do that with your Zanpakuto?"

"This is different, Ichigo. It doesn't actually use ice to freeze them. To be honest, I don't know for sure what it does or how. It's experimental. But Nemu told me it was safe. But we have to be careful with where we toss it. It'll effect anyone within a certain range and the effects don't last very long. Just long enough. We can freeze the people in Yumichika's army so they can't help him as well as himself. We only have one shot at this."

"Sounds interesting," came a voice overhead. They looked up and saw Yumichika standing above them in midair, smiling. "With that, I can easily make you my alley along with your friends, Ichigo and there's not a thing you can do to stop me."

Rukia attempted to run with it, not yet wanting to use it on him. The time wasn't right.

Yumichika cut her off. "Give it to me!"

She tossed it to Ichigo. "Run!"

Yumichika tried to sting her, but Ichigo blocked with his sword.

"I said run!"

Only when Yumichika came after him did Ichigo listen. He was cut off by several other Soul Reapers. Yumichika was behind him, closing in fast.

"Ichigo!"

He looked up. Linnette was overhead with Cedric, watching. Ichigo quickly tossed it to her and she caught it. "Linnette, take it and run! Don't let Yumichika get it!"

She nodded, and tucked it away in her pocket. "Let's go, Cedric!"

He took off again, Yumichika suddenly changing directions to follow them.

"Get back here!" he shouted. "With that, I can even stop you two, devils! You're the ones my stinger won't effect, isn't that right? If I take you out with this, I'll win for sure!"

Cedric changed directions. He zipped past Yumichika with ease, Linnette clinging to his back. Yumichika spun around and gave chase once again.

Ichigo watched from below. Cedric was leading Yumichika into the crowd of infected Soul Reapers. With any luck, they would get their only chance soon. Rukia gave Ichigo a nudge in their direction and followed at a safe distance.

Yumichika was gaining on them. "Cedric!" Linnette called seeing Yumichika's look of rage coming up fast.

Cedric turned his body. They swerved right. Yumichika followed, staying on them. Dodging Hollows and kidos, they swam in the sea of black clad Soul Reapers, hoping to lose him. He never missed a beat.

Yumichika raised his hand and pointed at them. "Bakudo 63, Sajo Sabaku!"

Cedric sped up trying to dodge the winding yellow ropes appearing around his torso. He wasn't fast enough, Though intended for his arms, the spell instead wrapped itself around his legs, tangling them together. Seeing his chance, Yumichika grabbed Cedric by his ankles and pulled him back. He was pulled down with amazing force and Linnette went flying.

She was caught by Victor who had given up his battle with a Hollow to save her. "Be careful, princess. You'll get hurt."

"Victor!" She dug around in her pocket and handed him the ball. "Ichigo says that Yumichika's not to get this."

He looked up and saw Yumichika change targets and come after him instead. "I understand. Hold tight." Carrying her in his arms, Victor took her through the crowd, dodging attacks left and right.

This wasn't fun for Yumichika anymore. "Sop them!" he ordered.

The Soul Reapers turned around and attacked Victor instead. Kidos shot in every direction, narrowly missing Linnette's head.

"Going up," Victor warned and sprang up. The Soul Reapers trying to grab him collided below.

It was a game of chase. Everyone was after them.

Victor weaved again, dodging another. Yumichika appeared in front of them and Linnette screamed in surprise. Victor locked his legs together in the sky and pulled himself down backward into a dive. They dropped out of the sky like a pair of rocks. Yumichika followed, reaching for Linnette.

"Give it to me!"

Victor changed course, zooming left and between two buildings. He jumped off of one and landed on another, running across the roof.

"Victor, the ball."

He looked down. "You have an idea?"

"Uh-huh. Hurry."

"It's in my vest pocket."

She fished around for it and pulled it out. She pulled out a small pouch from her other pocket which she liked to keep pennies she found of the ground when going on walks in the city. She stuck the ball inside and pulled the pouch shut.

This was all done within sight of Yumichika. He watched the whole thing, now knowing where it was. He reached for her bag.

"Roar! Zabumaru!"

The flexible Zanpakuto cut off Yumichika's path, causing him to stop in his tracks. He glared up at Renji. "Bastard…"

Victor and Linnette were getting away.

"Hey, you! Renji!"

He looked up. Linnette was calling to him.

"Catch!" She threw a bag at him. "Take it and run! Don't let Yumichika get it!"

He looked at the pouch and at Yumichika preparing to rush him. "Uh… right. Got it!" He held it in his left hand and took off running. Yumichika followed.

"Give that to me right now!"

Renji kept running, only glancing back to see how far Yumichika was from him. He flashed left then right. He couldn't shake him. He looked straight ahead and spotted Rukia and Ichigo coming his way. "Ichigo!"

"Renji!"

He threw him the bag. "Catch!"

He caught be bag, confused.

"The girl said to keep it away from him."

Linnette. She must have put the ball in it. He nodded and changed directions again. Renji split away, going left.

Yumichika changed targets again, going after Ichigo once more. "Give it!"

He handed it to Rukia who jumped up in the air. As Yumichika missed her by inches, she threw it back to Ichigo. More annoyed and angered than ever, Yumichika followed him once more.

"Don't toy with me!"

This was starting to be fun for him. It was like a game of keep-away. Ichigo looked up and saw Rukia following over head. He passed it back to her. She went left, behind a building and passed it back. Ichigo took it into the crowd, looking back to see where Yumichika was. He was hot on his trail. He spotted Renji and threw it to him.

It hit Renji in the back of his head, but he ran with it anyway. Yumichika dove down to stop him. Renji saw Rukia and attempted the throw it back. The bag was intercepted by Yumichika. He snatched it up in both hands and looked inside.

"What?"

It was empty.

"Then where..?"

He saw Ichigo following after Victor and Linnette.

"Oh… they're going to pay!"

Ichigo caught up to them. "What happened to Cedric?"

"He'll be along," said Victor. "Linnette, do you still have it?"

"Yup!" She smiled holding up the round device.

Ichigo's jaw dropped. "Then the bag..?"

"A decoy!" she giggled. "Did I do good or what?"

He smiled and chuckled. "You are something else, Linnette."

She took his words as great praise, smiling widely.

"Give me that ball!"

He looked right, Yumichika had caught on to their trick and wasn't pleased. Coming up fast, Victor decided to split. He jumped onto a building and ran across the roof, Yumichika following closely behind. He was cut off by Cedric, tackling him to the ground. Cedric held him in place.

A noise distracted him. Looking up, Cedric saw ten Soul Reapers coming to help their master.

Exactly as Victor predicted. No one was going to let anything happen to him. Their best option to stop Yumichika for good was to stop his army as well.

"Cedric! Come!"

He obeyed Linnette's order and got off Yumichika, following.

Yumichika was on his feet and chasing after them again. "I want that ball! Give it to me now!"

Linnette held up something round in her hand. "You want it?" She threw it into the city. "Fetch!"

"No!" Ichigo couldn't hold back his scream. What was she thinking?

Yumichika dove, trying to catch it before it hit the ground. Ichigo prepared to follow when Linnette called for him.

"Ichigo, come on! Over here!"

He followed, torn. He knew he had to keep Yumichika away from that device, but Linnette would only call him if it was important. He stood next to Victor, ready to scold her. "Why did you do that? How could you throw..?"

She pointed to Victor's pocket, smiling. "That wasn't the device thingy."

"It… wasn't?"

"Nope." She took something out of her dress pocket and held it up. "This is."

Ichigo's jaw dropped. She had pulled off an excellent and confusing switch. Treating it like one of their games, Linnette had managed to fool all the players. In her hand was the real device. The bag was a decoy and so was whatever she had thrown this time.

"But… then what did you just..?"

She giggled. "I told him to 'fetch', didn't I?"

Down below, Yumichika snatched up the round ball Linnette had thrown. He stood on the street, holding it up to the sun. "At last! I knew that brat wouldn't hold on to it for very long. Now I have… what the hell is this?"

He held up a round rubber ball. The very same ball Linnette used to play her doggy games with her two servants at home.

"That damn bitch!"

Ichigo was incredibly impressed. He patted her head with a smile. "Very nice!"

Her smile went impossibly big at his words.

"But he'll keep coming after you if he knows that you have it."

"That's ok. Victor and Cedric will protect me."

"Even so, I think you should pass it on to someone else." Ichigo pointed. "I think you should give it to Cedric. He's not carrying you and he's extremely strong. I think he can handle it."

After a moment of debate, she agreed. "Be careful with it, Cedric."

"Of course. I understand." He tucked the device into his pocket and looked over head. "More Hollows are on their way. It seems your friends are having a bit of trouble with these Soul Reapers as well, Ichigo."

"Yeah, I know," he said dismally. "The sooner we get this done, the better. We just have to lure Yumichika into that crowd and then use the device. That should take care of most of his forces and stop him as well."

"Good thinking." Cedric nodded to the group. "I'll see what I can do in the meantime." He flashed away.

Victor turned to Ichigo. "Ill take her somewhere safe."

"No!" Linnette protested. "I want to stay and help Ichigo. Please!"

His gentle face was overcome with confliction. "Well… alright. I'll look after you as best I can."

"I know. I'm not worried."

Maybe she should have been.

Victor nodded to Ichigo and leapt away.

"Give it to me!" Yumichika had come back, zooming in a straight line up to Ichigo. "Give me that device now!"

"Too bad! I don't have it!"

"Liar!" Yumichika pulled out his stinger.

Ichigo blocked with his blade. Looked like another round to their endless battle.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, things weren't going so well for the two members of Squad 10. Rangiku and Hitsugaya were both stuck in a battle of their own, unable to quit. Right at a crucial moment between swordplay, Hitsugaya ducked down and sweep kicked Rangiku. She fell to the ground and her captain landed on top of her, pinning her. He straddled her body, pointing the tip of his sword at her neck.<p>

"Please…" Hitsugaya didn't follow through with the attack. "Don't make me do this to you. I don't want to kill you."

Rangiku let out the breath she had been holding. "Sir…"

"I don't want to hurt you anymore. I don't want to kill you."

She looked upon him with sympathy. "Then why are you doing this?"

He turned his gaze into the crowd of Soul Reapers. "Because he asked me to." He was talking about Yumichika.

"But why? If you are against it, why do it?"

It was difficult for him to answer that. "I… I'm only following orders."

"But you're a captain. You don't answer to a 5th Seat on another squad. Think for yourself, Captain."

"I am thinking for myself, Matsumoto!" Hitsugaya looked down again. "I don't want to have to kill you so I'm not going to finish you off. Yumichika has ordered me to fight you and protect him. He never said anything about killing you… But if he had, if he does, then I will." He looked her in the eye. "If I let you go… please, just go back home. Don't interfere anymore, Matsumoto. Please."

"Captain…"

"Please!" His hand was shaking. "I don't want to kill you."

Her eyes softened, seeing his. "You care..?"

"Of course I do! You're a good friend and my lieutenant." He looked away. "Even if you do piss me off a lot and never do your work… I still like having you around… sometimes. But the sake has to stop."

She moved her hand to rest on his left. He looked back at her, surprised. "Captain… you would kill me if he ordered it? Even if you feel this way?"

He nodded slowly.

"Why?"

He looked away, this time out of thought. "Because… Be- because… I am loyal to him. I know that I am a captain and that I have duties and that I answer to our own laws, but…" His fist tightened on his sword. "But I am loyal to Yumichika most of all. I answer to him! I want to obey him, even if it is an order I hate. I… I'm loyal to him. I want to do his bidding. I want to see him happy. I want to see him succeed. I… want to serve him. That's all."

Hitsugaya himself hadn't changed. Only his loyalty and who it was bound to.

Loyalty was a powerful thing.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, the captain of Squad 6 was having problems of his own. The Hollows were problem enough to deal with, but now he had to fight his fellow Soul Reapers. He wasn't willing to kill them, but they were prepared to take him down no matter the cost.<p>

"I suppose your ability to think rationally is nonexistent." Byakuya pulled out his blade. "It can't be helped."

Something was behind him. He could sense it. It was more powerful than these men. He turned his back on them and clashed swords with another man.

"Tetsuzaemon Iba."

The lieutenant of Squad 7 wanted to do battle with the captain and wasn't going to take no for an answer. "Forgive me, Captain Kuchiki."

"Don't ask for forgiveness when you're mindful of your decision. Stand down."

"I can't do that."

He figured as much. "What would your Captain say about this, Iba?"

He looked away for only a second then back at Byakuya. "I am loyal to my captain, yes… but my loyalties reside with Yumichika more. I answer to him!"

Byakuya sighed. "I see. Captain Komamura chose to stay behind to help clean up the mess left behind in the Soul Society. You'll have to deal with me in his stead."

"Fine. I understand." They sprang apart. "It's nothing personal, Kuchiki. Just orders."

Byakuya said nothing.

"Hado 4, Byakurai!"

"Hado 33, Sokatsui!"

The two spells collided in an explosive blast, surrounding them in smoke.

Ida waited for the smoke to clear, peering into the cloud before him. He heard another incantation and a second stream of lighting lit up a path through the smoke before crashing into him. Byakuya soon followed, his blade drawn.

Their fight went on above Ichigo and Yumichika's. Ichigo darted between skyscrapers, hugging the walls and ducking around corners. His best bet was to gain some distance, staying away from that stinger as much as possible. He looked over his shoulder to see if Yumichika was still following. He had been keeping up with him all this time. Only now, Yumichika was nowhere in sight.

A trap? Ichigo stopped where he was, looking around. Where could he have gone?

On a hunch, Ichigo looked down at the busy street. The car horns and city noise was drowned out by the sounds of battle going on above it. Sure enough, below him was Yumichika, matching Ichigo's movements like a watery reflection. When their eyes met, Yumichika suddenly changed coarse, climbing the sky towards him.

Ichigo took off again, leading him back into the crowd of Soul Reapers. He passed by Renji on his way, battling with a strong Hollow. He looked up only for a moment to see Ichigo running from the one responsible for all of this.

"Give me that device now!" Yumichika followed him into the crowd.

Ichigo came to a stop, turning to face him. "Guess what, I don't have it."

Yumichika took out his sword again. "Tell me where it is."

"Make me."

The stinger was out again. "I'll make you, alright." He lunged for Ichigo.

He blocked. A swarm of Soul Reapers were gathering around them, waiting for orders to get involved and help their master. The growing crowd was getting thicker. Now was the time.

"Cedric!"

Yumichika blinked. "Huh?"

The man came whenever called. At least, that was true for Linnette. Ichigo hoped that it was true for himself.

As called, Cedric appeared behind the crowd, coming over to Ichigo.

"Cedric! Now! Use it!"

Yumichika stared in shock at the man pulling out the round device from his pocket. "He had it all along?"

Cedric held it in his hand, ready to smash it. "If the device shatters, it activates, right?"

Before he could get his answer, the Soul Reapers around him made a grab for the object he held. He fumbled it and it fell.

"No!" Cedric broke free and dove down to retrieve the item.

A flash of red. "I got it!" Renji was coming up under Cedric, trying to catch it himself.

The result wasn't good. Their hands directly over to device, both going at great speeds in opposite directions resulted in their hands coming together over the device in what looked like a high-speed high five, the device between their palms.

It shattered on impact.

A shockwave fanned out in every direction within the infected area.

"Oops." This wasn't Renji's day.

He and Cedric tried to get out of the way in time, but it was already too late for them and everyone else around. It was like someone had pressed the pause button on a TV remote. Everyone within that area had been frozen in place, exactly as they were, like living statues. Renji was frozen with his arm reached out towards a building as if to pull himself free, his face frozen in fear. Cedric's body had been rooted to the spot, in mid-run, his eyes focused on the area where the device had shattered. The Soul Reapers around them had been frozen as well, in their battle positions, their expressions varying from shock to wonder.

Ichigo looked on in shock, unsure of what to make of this. The plan had worked for the most part. All it did was make them freeze in place, exactly as they were. They weren't incased in ice, so their bodies were exposed and vulnerable. "Renji… Cedric…"

A laugh broke his thoughts and he turned. Yumichika had been out of range. He wasn't frozen. He was laughing, feeling great about this. "I should thank you, Ichigo. So much for your plan." He moved behind Renji's body, still laughing. "You see, I had planned on using that device to freeze you so that I could sting you without a fuss. But this works, too."

He stuck the stinger into the back of Renji's exposed neck.

"No!" Ichigo rushed to help, but the damage was done. When the time came for everyone to unfreeze, Renji would be his enemy. They had lost another alley.

"Hado 73, Soren Sokatsui!"

Ichigo ducked as a stray kido passed overhead. His eyes followed Byakuya being thrown back by the force of an attack. Was Byakuya actually having trouble? Iba chased Byakuya down and tried to slash him with his sword. Byakuya blocked and threw him back. Byakuya hit the building behind him, breaking his arm at the elbow. Despite the pain, Byakuya got up quickly and leapt onto a rooftop. Iba followed.

"Get back here, Byakuya!"

Byakuya had had enough holding back. It was time to take this more seriously. Squad 4 had excellent medical technology. Whatever damage he inflicted on his target could easily be healed by anyone of its members. He held up his sword. "Scatter, Senbonzakura."

Within moments, Iba's body was surrounded by pink blossoms. "That's not enough, Kuchiki. Hado 54, Haien!" He planned to incinerate everything around him.

"That won't work," Byakuya murmured.

Despite hitting the target, nothing came of it. The wall of pink simply took it in, never breaking up.

"Over here, Ichigo!" Yumichika attempted to sting him from behind. "Don't get distracted."

Ichigo bent his spine, curving it away from the attack. The stinger missed. He flipped around and slashed at him again. Yumichika wasn't there anymore.

"Over here."

He turned around. Not there either. Where had he gone?

"Ichigo! Look out!" Rukia had shown up to aid him. She had thrown herself between Ichigo and Yumichika's blade. "Get out of here!"

"No way!" he snapped. "I'm stopping him! You don't have to do it for me."

"Ichigo, are you stupid? You're the one he's after! If he gets you, it's all over! With your kind of power, no one here would stand a chance! Yumichika's army is growing too fast! We need all the people we can get on our side!"

"I know that."

"Then why are you arguing? Go!"

"I'm not leaving you to fight alone!" Ichigo refused to leave.

Yumichika laughed. "Then this is going to be fun." He held up his other hand. "Hado 31, Shakkaho!"

Rukia ducked as the attack went over her head and into a building. By the time she looked back Yumichika was gone. She looked over to Ichigo. Yumichika was standing behind him. "Ichigo!"

He moved just in time, the stinger grasping nothing but air. "Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!"

Yumichika didn't wait around for very long. He was after Ichigo.

"Ichigo, move!" Rukia moved her blade into position. "Some no mai, Tsukishiro!"

Instinctively, Yumichika jumped off the rooftop, thinking he would avoid the attack. To his surprise, the circle of ice followed him straight up. He narrowed his eyes. "Hitsugaya!"

From out of nowhere came the captain. He countered with his own attack. "Reign over the Frosted Heavens, Hyorinmaru!"

The two pillars of ice clashed, freezing into each other. Hitsugaya stood atop the frozen pillar, glaring at Rukia.

"Do not attack my master!"

"When are you going to wake up, Captain Hitsugaya? It's the toxin that's making you feel this way! Not you!"

"So what? I don't care! Have you ever stopped to think that maybe I like being this way? I feel like I have purpose and meaning. Who are you to tell me how I should be feeling, anyway?"

More pointless talk.

"Keep that ice away from me," Yumichika told him with a smirk. "I'll handle Ichigo."

He didn't wait around. Ichigo took off running again. He needed to find Victor. If he was close by, he wouldn't have to worry about the stinger. Victor would block it. Now that Cedric was out of commission, there was only one person he could turn to for help.

"Don't run away!" Yumichika slashed Ichigo across the back with his sword.

"Gwaa!" It stung like crazy! The warm gush of blood running down his back made him shiver. He turned his body away, using the large building for cover again.

"Quit running, I said!" Yumichika closed in from behind and drove his right arm into Ichigo's solar plexus. As Ichigo spat blood, Yumichika threw his body into the nearest building. Ichigo crashed through the window and slid across the floor of a very large office floor. Yumichika climbed inside, picked up a desk and threw it. The desk hit Ichigo in the face, causing him to spit more blood.

Ichigo crawled behind a row of desks, trying to hide from his attacks. That stinger in his hand was a real threat. He had to stay away from it. He heard more crashes as Yumichika began turning over desks and chairs, trying to find him. A computer came sailing over his head as he moved behind another desk, hiding.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are!" Yumichika sang. "I promise I won't hurt you… much."

Hearing the crashes getting closer, Ichigo moved to a new location under a table. A copier went flying next, followed by a shower of paper. He had to think of a way out of this. Ichigo spotted a trash can in front of him and had an idea. Using the reflection in a computer screen, Ichigo pinpointed where Yumichika was. He was just two desks away and looking rows ahead of where Ichigo hid. He picked up the trashcan and threw it to the right. Distracted by the movement, Yumichika looked right. Meanwhile, Ichigo went left and ran behind Yumichika.

"How cunning, Ichigo!" Yumichika swung his left arm, stinger seeking its pray.

Ichigo sucked in his stomach, the tip missing him by an inch. He punched Yumichika in the face.

"Ow!" Yumichika held his left cheek. "How dare you!" He grabbed Ichigo by the front of his kimono and slammed him spine first into the ceiling. Sparks from the fluorescent lights rained down over them with a sizzling sound. Yumichika pulled him free and sent him back up into the humming and shattered light. He tried to use his stinger again. Ichigo kicked his hand away.

Another idea popping into his head, Ichigo put his feet on Yumichika's shoulders and leaned forward, over his head. Too top-heavy, Yumichika couldn't hold Ichigo up any longer and the two went falling over backwards. Yumichika slammed into a desk while Ichigo landed on top of it. Ichigo stood up on the desktop, looking around. The sizzling light hanging by two wires was starting to smoke. He looked around the floor for any signs of him.

"I'll kill you!"

Ichigo turned in time to see Yumichika slamming his body into his and into the wall. Metal groaned and wood beams splintered while glass from the lights rained down around them.

"To think… you would reduce me to this!" Yumichika fumed. "Getting into a fist fight with you and rolling around like some barbarian. Where is the beauty in that? But you drove me to this. Remember that."

Yumichika pulled Ichigo away from the wall and slammed him into the ceiling again.

"I am more powerful than you think!"

With that, Yumichika pulled Ichigo up through the ceiling. Using his body as a battering-ram, Yumichika pushed him up through each floor and into the next ceiling until they finally broke through the roof and into the sky.

Ichigo's body was shattered. Such a blow had broken many of his bones, mostly his ribs. Yumichika, having used Ichigo's body as a kind of shield was unharmed. Looking at Ichigo's bloody body with disgust, he threw him onto the roof beside the gapping hole they had made. Ichigo bounced and rolled to the other side, trying to breathe. He kept choking on his own blood. Yumichika was a member of Squad 11 alright, even if he didn't look the part. Such brutality.

Ichigo clawed his way up into a sitting position and leaned against the edge of the building's safety rail. His head was throbbing. Yumichika gracefully landed in front of him with a smirk.

"I'll teach you…" He held up the stinger. "There's no getting away from me now."

Ichigo's gargled words were spoken in blood. He was hurt too bad to put up a fight. If only he could wait for just a minute while he collected himself. But Yumichika wasn't going to give him that chance.

"See you on the other side, Ichigo."

He didn't have the strength to raise his arm. His sword lay where it was.

Yumichika's stinger was in his face and there was nothing he could do.

"Ichigo!"

Something leapt in front of him at the last second. He blinked. Though blurry, he could make them out; his eyes widening.

"… Ru… Rukia…"

Rukia had thrown herself between them, her back to Yumichika, using her body to shield Ichigo. The stinger was sticking out of her shoulder, Yumichika's left hand attached to the other end. He got her.

Yumichika's stunned face curled into a smile. "Well… how unexpected. But how fortunate." The stinger retracted back into his hand. "So much for protecting you, huh, Ichigo?"

Ichigo stared into Rukia's eyes. First Renji and now her. How many more was he going to lose? As she stared back into his eyes, Ichigo could have sworn that she had given him a small, subtle wink. But that couldn't be. It must have just been a blink.

"Ok, Rukia," said Yumichika, stepping back. "What do you say?"

She turned and knelt in front of him. "Command me to do whatever you want, my lord."

He chuckled. "Excellent." He gave it some thought. "Hold Ichigo still while I give him a taste."

She nodded. "Yes, sir." She moved to hold Ichigo down when she stopped suddenly. "Um… sir?"

"What is it?"

Above them was a man in a suit, carrying a girl in his arms.

"Victor, get him!" Linnette pointed.

Without a word, Victor grabbed Ichigo and carried him off far away from them.

Ichigo turned his head to look at the two on the roof slowly shrinking away. He turned his head again to look at Victor's back as he carried him over his shoulder through the crowd. "… Vic… V- Vic…"

"Don't talk yet." Victor came to a stop on a building and laid him down in front of a woman. "She's agreed to help. Says she knows some healing spells."

Ichigo looked up at Rangiku's battered face. She held her hands over Ichigo's body and slowly began to heal his injuries. He winced at the feeling of something stinging him in the back.

"Sorry, I'm not from Squad 4. Kira's better at this than I am… but he's still fighting Hisagi," she was saying. "I can do this much at least."

Linnette sat beside him, watching his body slowly being healed. Her right sleeve was gone, torn off by the tip of Rukia's blade when they made their escape. She didn't seem to have noticed or cared that her bare arm was exposed or that her dress was ruined. "What can I do to help? What can I do?" Ichigo looked at her worried face. This didn't seem very fun for her anymore now that people were starting to get hurt.

"Just keep a look out for anyone who might be coming here to hurt him," Rangiku told her.

Linnette nodded and turned around looking at the sky.

Ichigo closed his eyes and tried to breathe. It was becoming easier. But he felt like he had something caught in his throat. The very thought of Rukia now coming over to Yumichika's side was only making it worse.

_Damn it_…

* * *

><p>D8<p>

Oh, no! Please review and hope this doesn't get any worse!


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14:**

Kira darted around buildings, trying to escape. Hisagi was being ruthless. He was really out to kill him. He looked back over his shoulder. Hisagi was still there, firing off kido after kido at his friend. Kira darted around a tall narrow building, coming around the other side to attack. Hisagi was already there, waiting for him. Their swords came together in a violent clang.

"Hisagi, please!"

He didn't answer him. His expression never changed. Determination was all he had now. He wanted him dead.

"Shuhei!"

They sprang apart, Hisagi forcing him back with a trust of his sword. Kira skidded backwards through the air, his sword still placed before his body. Looking over his blade, Kira could see Hisagi's determined expression leaking out traces of sorrow.

"Izuru…" Hisagi held his sword loosely in his hand, letting the point drag in the air as he moved his body. "I don't want to do this. I don't want to kill you."

"Then why are you doing this?"

Hisagi looked around at the mass of Soul Reapers each occupied with their own battles. "… Because Yumichika asked me to."

Kira started to lower his blade, but not his guard.

"He told me to do this and…" Hisagi's hand started to shake, making his sword rattle quietly. "I know this is wrong. I know I shouldn't be doing this."

"Then why are you?" Kira was pleading for an answer. He wanted to know the logic behind all this madness. Why did friends have to fight friends?

"I must!" Hisagi shut his eyes tight as if convincing himself that all this was justified. "Yumichika has given me a task and I will do it! I cannot disobey! No matter how much I'm against it!"

"Why?"

Hisagi turned back to face Kira. His sword had stopped shaking. "Because I am loyal to him."

Kira couldn't understand.

"I'm loyal to him, Izuru! I want to serve him and make him pleased with me! I look only for his approval! I admire him! I've never felt such overwhelming desire before in my life. All that I do, I do for him! I do it because I love him!"

Kira's face wrinkled. "Huh?"

"N- no, not like that. I mean… You know what I mean!" Hisagi tried to recover from his faux pas. "Think of your parents. When they tell you to do something, you do it, right? A- and you seek their approval, right? Loyalty and love. Devotion. That is how I feel. Even if it is something I'm dead set against, if it's for him and his sake, I will do it. No matter how much it pains me to do so!"

Kira looked upon him with pity. Hisagi truly didn't want to continue this fight but he had no choice. The venom he was infected with wouldn't allow him that. Hisagi was going to keep fighting until it was done and over with. But he could also understand how Hisagi felt. Such devotion and loyalty. He once felt the same way about Gin. He would blindly follow his orders, never fully knowing what he was doing or the consequences of his actions. He just did as he was told, even if he knew that it was wrong. Now Hisagi was in the same position.

"I'm sorry it had to come to this, Izuru. I really am. But…" Hisagi lifted his sword to him. "I'm going to have to kill you if you don't lower your weapon and go home. Please, I'm begging you."

Kira refused. He knew this fight wasn't over yet and he had to finish what he started. "I'm sorry, but I cannot do that. I have to ask you to lower your weapon, Shuhei. Please."

It was a standoff.

"I'm not going to let you interfere with Yumichika's plans. I'll make sure he sees them through to the end."

"And I can't let you continue what you're doing. I have to stop you and make sure Yumichika doesn't succeed."

"Then you know what that mean."

"… Yes."

"A fight to the death between us."

"Exactly."

Hisagi held his sword tightly. If this was a fight to the death, then there was no doubt in Kira's mind that, as much as he hated it, Hisagi would have to end up unleashing his zanpakuto's power. Kira really didn't want it to come to that. He didn't want to kill Hisagi. He was innocent in all of this. He was a victim. However, maybe he didn't have to kill him in order to stop him. With his zanpakuto, he could render him helpless by making all his body parts too heavy to move. That seemed like a good plan. All he had to do was make sure that he could get close enough to do it.

He held his blade sideways and called out its name. "Raise your head, Wabisuke!" His blade flexed and curved into a hook shape, ready to slice.

Hisagi knew about Kira's power and wasn't going to let him get close enough to use it. "Bakudo 62, Hyapporankan!"

Kira daftly flashed between the glowing rods towards Hisagi. As he raised his sword, Hisagi raised his own. They clashed together. This was just what Kira wanted. The more he had to block, the more Wabisuke would cut into the blade, making it heavier. This was perfect. As he moved to raise his sword for another attack, he found that it wouldn't budge. Glaring up at him was Hisagi. He had one hand on his own sword and the other on top of Kira's, keeping it in place.

"What are you doing?"

"If I keep your sword like this, you won't be able to cut anymore, will you?" Hisagi was planning on keep their swords connected so Kira couldn't raise it again. Hisagi's hand started to glow red. "Hado 31, Shakkaho."

Was he trying to break the sword using kido?

The blast hit the back of Kira's zanpakuto, causing the sword to vibrate in his hands, shaking him. Fighting to hold on, Kira didn't notice the second attack hitting him at point blank range. Part of Shakkaho had reflected off his blade and hit him in the face, scorching his hair and skin. The pain was too much to stand and he let go of his sword, stumbling back.

"I knew it!" Hisagi tossed Kira's sword away and came after him with another attack. "I knew you wouldn't be able to stand it!"

As he raised his sword, Kira fought back with his own kido. "Bakudo number 8, Seki!" A round shield appeared around Kira's wrist, blocking Hisagi's attack. He wasn't done yet. "Bakudo 21, Sekienton!"

It was like a red smoke bomb had gone off in front of his face. Hisagi couldn't see anything, but he knew what Kira was planning. "You won't get away!" He targeted a shadow moving around behind the smoke. "Bakudo number 30, Shitotsu Sansen!"

Three beams of light shot out, attempting to pin the target down. But the attack kept going, missing the shadow.

Suspecting that Kira would try to sneak up on him from behind, Hisagi turned around and waited for him. As he raised his sword, he felt something cut him from behind. As he turned, he suffered another cut on his left leg. He jumped out of the smoke and into the air. Kira followed him with his sword.

"I knew you'd do that," Hisagi said. "Cleaver use of the smoke bomb technique. But it's not good enough."

"I know that." Kira pointed his hand. "Bakudo 63, Sajo Sabaku!"

Yellow light wrapped around Hisagi's arms, binding him. Kira took this chance to cut Hisagi's right and left leg again. Hisagi started to kneel, but he refused to give up the fight. The loyalty to his master was too great.

"I'm not losing to you!" Hisagi flexed his arms and snapped the spell. He grabbed his sword and sliced into Kira's chest, exposing his skin. Kira leapt away, but Hisagi followed him. "You won't get away!"

Kira kept running, trying to lose himself in the crowd. Hisagi kept on him, ducking around Soul Reapers, all trying to fight for their master. Kira kept running until he reach a cluster of tall buildings he could use for cover. He stopped running and turned.

Hisagi kept running and used the momentum to power up his attack. Kira blocked with his sword while Hisagi pushed against him. He was aware that he was cutting into Wabisuke, but no longer cared. He was going to win no matter what.

Kira found himself sliding back. He dug his heels into the air, trying to slop himself. He had to get some distance between himself and Hisagi. Keeping both hands on his sword, he used another kido. "Hado 58, Tenran!" The tornado-like blast forced Hisagi back, sending him flying like a leaf in the wind. This gave Kira enough time to prepare for his next attack.

Recovering, Hisagi came back at Kira at full speed. "I'll kill you! I swear I will!"

"Then you'd better hurry and catch me." As Hisagi sped towards him, Kira allowed himself to fall through the air towards the ground.

"Not so fast!" Hisagi did the same, following him.

Kira twisted his body around so that he was now falling head first towards the ground. As Hisagi caught up to him, Kira corrected himself and landed in the middle of the street below. Kira stood still and watched as Hisagi came at him again, only to stop himself short of the attack. "What?"

"Why did you stop?" he asked.

Kira pointed straight up. "Haven't you noticed where we are?"

Hisagi followed his finger to a streetlight above their heads. "So? That's a traffic light. I know about them."

"Then you also know what happens when the light turns green?"

"Of course I do, I'm not stupid."

Kira looked at the ground where Hisagi stood. "If that's the case, then I wouldn't stand there if I were you."

Hisagi looked at the ground. He was standing in the middle of a one-way street and the light above him just turned green. He looked to his left and saw a large city bus come speeding towards him.

"Don't expect them to stop," Kira added. "You know how the living can't see us."

Hisagi's eyes widened and made to jump out of the way, but his left leg wouldn't move. It was too heavy to lift. He hadn't noticed how many times Kira had cut into that leg. He knew he was cut at least twice, but what he didn't know was that he had managed to stealthily cut him four more times while they were in the air nearing the ground. Not only that, but he had also cut into his right leg, tripping it up and his sword a grand total of three times without him realizing it. All that extra weight on his person made it impossible for him to dodge the bus. All he could muster was a whimper before the bus slammed into him at 40 miles an hour.

Kira watched from the sidewalk as the bus slowed to a stop and pulled over, feeling like they had hit something. There was no man, but there was a Hisagi shape imprint on the front of the bus. Hisagi lay in the middle of the street, unable to move his body and moaning in tremendous pain. Kira sighed and went over to help drag his friend away to a safe place. This fight was over.

* * *

><p>Byakuya's fight was nearing an end. Or so it would seem. Granted Byakuya was a captain and powerful as much as he was skilled, but fighting a lieutenant like Iba wasn't easy. It proved to be exceedingly difficult with an expert in both kido and flash step. After battling for what may have been hours, both were left panting. Byakuya knew that Iba had lost all sense of reason and there was no point in trying to bring it out of him. He understood that if stabbed by that stinger, he would most likely be the same way himself. Who knew what he might end up doing?<p>

"Tetsuzaemon Iba."

He mopped the sweat from his brow. "Yeah?"

"We can stop if you like."

"Never! Don't insult me!" Ida stood up shakily. "I'm just getting started. There's no way in hell I'm giving up a perfectly good fight! A true warrior never gives up! He fights to the end!"

"It wasn't my intention to insult you. Merely to spare you further humiliation."

Ida shot him a look that would have sent most men running for the hills. Snarling and ready to put Byakuya in his place, Ida raised his sword. "Let's finish this!"

"Very well." Byakuya held up his own blade, murmuring the release command softly. "Scatter, Senbonzakura."

A maelstrom of pink swirled and dance majestically around Iba. He ignored the beautiful dance and charged towards Byakuya. He tried a kido before the actual attack to hold Byakuya in place. Byakuya flashed away before he could and reappeared behind him. As expected. Iba changed the direction of his attack and bound Byakuya's arms to his sides using kido. Iba turned and attempted to slice him across the chest, but the pink petals blocked him. Acting as a shield, they protected Byakuya from the attack. Rotating in the air, they attacked Iba back. Like razors, they cut into his cheek and his bare arms.

Still bound by kido, Byakuya stood calmly, not seeming to care. "I told you that I wanted to spare you. You cannot win."

"Stop being arrogant!" Iba, slashed the flowery attack away with his sword. "You haven't won yet!"

A wall of pink separated them, hiding Byakuya from view. When the petals moved on, Byakuya was free and standing on another building. "It's not arrogance. It's truth."

"Then come here and say that!"

"Why? So I can lower myself to your level?" Byakuya scoffed. "Hardly."

Iba lost his temper. "Shut up!"

Before Byakuya could blink, Iba had slammed into him full-force and into a building. Gripping Byakuya by his hair, he repeatedly bashed his head into the side of the building. As blood rolled down his face, Byakuya managed to lift his hand and point it at Iba. "Hado 4, Byakurai."

The lightning blasted Iba in the face and sent him reeling backwards. Byakuya turned and got ready for another strike. Curving his sword to the side, the pink petals began to swarm around them, spinning at an incredible speed.

Noticing the pink surrounding them, Iba laughed. "You're an idiot."

"How so?"

Iba pointed. "That's how."

Byakuya looked down. Another kido had been set into place. How did he not notice it before? "Bakudo 61, correct?"

"Yes. Now you really are helpless. You can't move at all." Iba smiled. "This fight is mine."

Byakuya closed his eyes. "Not even close. Though I must commend you on this."

"What the hell are you talking about? I've got you pinned!"

"Correct. I'm pinned." Byakuya looked up at the pink petals still spinning above them. On cue, they swirled towards Iba, engulfing him in pink. He slashed at them but it was no use. Though he may have been pinned, that didn't stop Byakuya from attacking. As the pink attack started to clear, he readied himself for another kido. "Bakudo 63, Sajo Sabaku. And Bakudo 75, Gochutekkan."

There was nothing he could do against the two kidos combined. Wrapped up in the first kido, the large pillars pinned him in place on the building below them. Unable to move or maintain focus, the kido binding Byakuya faded, freeing him. Byakuya stood above him and watched the Hollows swarming above them.

"This isn't anywhere near over yet," Byakuya breathed.

* * *

><p>When Ichigo opened his eyes again, he felt a lot better. He sat up.<p>

"Wait, I'm not done," Rangiku told him. "You're still-"

"I don't care." Ichigo struggled to his feet. "This has to end. Renji and Rukia… they've…" He couldn't finish. "I have to do something!"

Linnette hurried over the them. "I see someone coming this way!"

They looked up. It was Renji and Hitsugaya.

"Oh, crap…"

Renji looked down upon Ichigo with hatred and malice. "Oh, I'm going to enjoy this!" He whipped his zanpakuto in their direction.

"That frozen thing must have worn off." Which meant Cedric wasn't too far behind.

Victor attempted to lift Linnette into his arms, but she pushed him away. "No! We're staying in this fight and helping Ichigo and the rest."

"I'll do the fighting. I need to get you somewhere safe."

"No! I'm staying!" She stared Victor down. "Please…"

Torn over what to do, Victor let out a heavy sigh. "I will protect you with my life. You know that."

"So will I."

Everyone looked at the speaker.

Ichigo gave a smile. "I'll look after her, too. You don't need to worry, Victor."

Victor's face showed a rare state of bewilderment. Ichigo wanted to protect her, too? Did he understand what she meant to them? Did he truly care? Did he understand his feelings? His desire? Victor's open mouth closed and he gave Ichigo a small smile. "Yes."

Linnette jumped up and down happily.

Victor smiled, patting her head. "Fight together, correct?"

"Right!" she smiled back. "At each other's side, right?"

He nodded. "I'm never leaving you, Linnette." He looked back at Ichigo, seriousness in his eyes. "Ready?"

"Are you?"

Victor took his stance, giving his unspoken answer.

Ichigo looked back at the Soul Reapers closing in on them. Feeling everyone stand behind him, even the ones with little power and no fighting skill, made him feel stronger. Even now he still wasn't alone. He raised his sword.

"Bankai!"

* * *

><p>Yay! Kick butt, Ichigo! Go, go, go!<p>

Please review! ^^


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15:**

Unleashing his bankai, Ichigo felt like he stood a chance now. With no Yumichika in sight, that meant that he didn't have to worry about that stinger. He led the charge, everyone following him into battle.

Hitsugaya made the first move, creating a wall of ice in front of them. Renji soared over it and was greeted with a punch in the face by Ichigo. He was sent flying backwards toward Hitsugaya who stepped aside. Ichigo was the first one they saw. Hitsugaya pointed his sword. That was the signal for the other Soul Reapers to come charging in.

Within moments, everyone was split and divided, battling their own individual fights. Ichigo knew who he wanted to bring down first. That captain had to go.

"Getsuga Tensho!"

Hitsugaya blocked with another wall of ice. The ice shattered once the attack was over, revealing his serious face. "So that's how it is… In that case…" Hitsugaya gave his zanpakuto a wave. "Bankai!"

Large ice wings spread with an icy chill. Ichigo saw his breath on the air, knowing what was to come.

"Daiguren Hyorinmaru!"

Not wasting another moment, Ichigo leapt in for an attack.

Hitsugaya blocked with one of his wings. "Don't get cocky, Kurosaki." He held up his blade. "Hyoryu Senbi!"

Ichigo jumped back as a wave of ice started to spread where his feet had been moments ago. It followed him, crackling and hissing in the sunlight. Blinded by the reflected sun, Ichigo shut his eyes for a moment. He moved aside, opening them again and seeing Hitsugaya making his next move.

"Toshiro!"

"Don't call me that!" He gave a wave of his sword and another wave of ice shot out towards him. Ichigo turned his blade around and slashed at one of Hitsugaya's wings. It didn't break. No surprise there. Hitsugaya turned his whole body around, whipping Ichigo with his tail. Ichigo was sent flying, but didn't crash. He slid to a stop on his heels and held up his thinner sword. This wasn't going to be an easy fight.

Down below, Victor was busy handling as many Hollows as he could. There were few left and so far, Yumichika hadn't summoned up anymore.

"Victor, left!" Linnette warned, clinging to his shoulders.

He turned around, kicking an attacking Soul Reaper in the ribs. He felt the man's ribs break like brittle twigs from the impact of the kick. He had to be careful not to overdo it. These Soul Reapers, strong as they were, were no match for him and his inhuman power.

"On your right, Victor," Linnette's warning came again.

He punched the Soul Reaper in the arm, breaking his bone in three places, rendering his ability to wield a sword useless. Victor pushed him away to deal with the one who took his place. This Soul Reaper tried his luck at cutting Victor's indestructible body. Victor took the sword in his chest and watched amused as the man pulled it out again with not a single drop of blood.

The Soul Reaper gawked at him. This man was like clay. Slicing his body did nothing, not even succeeding in making a mark in his skin. Stabbing got the sword inside, but there was no damage. Despite stabbing him, Victor's body showed no signs of injury. No markings at all. It was like stabbing a ball of soft clay. You could pierce it, but it was easily fixed the moment the sword was pulled free.

"Sorry, no luck." Victor grabbed the man by his head and threw him.

"Victor!" Linnette's cry came again.

As Victor turned this time, someone had already beaten him to it. Cedric was standing in front of him, holding back another Soul Reaper.

"What took you so long?" Victor said jokingly.

"Sorry, had some issues to work out." Cedric threw the man away and into another Soul Reaper ready to try his luck.

Victor looked up at the swarm of Soul Reapers heading their way. "Linnette, honey, I'm going to put you down, ok?" He set her down on the roof they were perched on. "Hang tight, sweetie."

Victor shot straight up and kicked one of the Soul Reapers in the jaw, breaking it. He threw another one into his friend's body and grabbed the final one by the back of his kimono and tossed him into the air. Below, Cedric was using his arm as a sword, slashing the Soul Reapers who came too close to Linnette. Like a skilled swordsman, Cedric kept them all at bay, swinging and slashing at anyone who came nearby with incredible ease. This was child's play for them.

Smiling, Victor knew what to do next. He landed behind Cedric, the two standing back to back. "I'm going to look for Yumichika. I leave Linnette in your care."

"Got it."

They split up, Cedric going back to fighting Soul Reapers below while Victor leapt straight up, trying to get a better view of their surroundings.

A group of Soul Reapers, three this time, tried to stop him. Victor pulled himself into a backflip, spinning around like a top. His legs met their mark, sending every one of them flying back, crying out in pain. Victor ran across a rooftop and leapt onto another building. He leapt to another one and sailed up a skyscraper, landing on the edge of the roof.

He looked over the crowd of black bodies and white masks. Soul Reapers were everywhere and there was no way to tell who was one their side until after they attacked. He spotted Ichigo sparing with Hitsugaya on the other side of a smaller building, ice being thrown in every direction. He looked to the right and down below. Cedric was fairing well against all the Soul Reapers. Linnette had jumped onto his back and wrapped her arms around his neck as he spun, going for a ride. He spun in a complete circle, slashing at any Soul Reaper that dared come by. Linnette was laughing again. Things weren't so scary when she had her invincible friends and guardians there to help her. This was nothing they couldn't handle.

Smiling, knowing that she was in good hands, Victor went back to scanning the sky for Yumichika. There was no sign of him anywhere.

_No matter. Once I find him, all I need to do is hold him in place until we can figure out a way to get that Hollow out of him. There's nothing he can do to harm me. None of these men, actually. These Soul Reapers are a bunch of pushovers. Of course, it would seem that way to someone who can't get cut_.

He looked higher in the sky. No signs of him anywhere. He looked left. Nothing there, either. Victor looked back down. Nothing.

Where could he be..?

Victor's thought was cut short when he felt something hit him form the right, just above his hip. He felt it drag through his torso and out the left side of his body. He had never felt anything like that before. It was strange. He looked down and saw his legs standing in place. If they were stationary, then why did he feel like he was moving?

Within another moment, Victor's perspective had changed dramatically. At first, he was looking down at his legs. Now he was looking up at them. His lower half had remained frozen in place while his upper half had lowered to his knees. He was falling. A moment later, his legs followed. His descending legs moved, revealing Yumichika standing behind him on the building, his sword in his hands, frozen where his attack had ended.

Victor watched helplessly as Yumichika faded into the distance as he fell.

Down below, Linnette stood watching Cedric throw another Soul Reaper into a nearby building. The blast stirred up her dress, her long hair flapping in the wind with it. Before the wind could settle, Linnette had a terrible sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Something bad was happening somewhere, she knew it. She could feel it. Something horrible had just happened. The unexplainable feeling willed her to turn around and look up.

At first, she wasn't sure what she was seeing. Then it became clear. Though, it was an impossible sight. It couldn't be real. It must have been some sort of trick.

Ichigo pushed Hitsugaya away into his own ice pillar and looked around to see how the others around him were fairing. Something caught his eyes. He tuned around and looked up. His eyes widened in shock.

Falling from the top of a skyscraper was Victor's severed body. He had been completely torn in half.

"But…" Ichigo was in such shock, everything else around him had faded away, leaving only him and what he was seeing in place. "But… I thought you guys couldn't get cut."

As if hearing his words, Cedric, in just as much shock, watched on in horror. "… we can't… We can't get cut. Our bodies cannot be broken. How..?"

Standing on the skyscraper, Yumichika gave his hair a smug flip. "I knew it. Over time, things will weaken. Though you guys are invincible, you had to be created in order to exist. And everything that was ever created can also be destroyed. I guess your bodies can only hold out for so long before they break."

Cut completely in half, Victor fell in a straight line down to the ground, his pale face frozen in disbelief. This was impossible.

"Victor!"

Such a sound had never been heard from Linnette before. She was screaming his name, her eyes filling with tears. This had to have been a dream. Just a bad dream. There was no way, no way he could be dead. He couldn't be hurt. That was impossible. He was supposed to stay with her. Always together. How could this have happened?

Her hand reached out for him as if to catch his body in her palm and put him back together somehow. She knew it was hopeless. This just couldn't be.

Victor's eyes wandered into the crowd, locating Linnette standing below. He saw the look of horror and unimaginable sadness on her face and felt his heart stop completely. "I'm sorry I failed you again, Linnette…" He knew she couldn't hear his words, but he had to speak them anyway. His broken body was useless to her now.

Realizing that this was the end for him, Victor had to wonder if this was what it was like to die for every human. It wasn't very pleasant, but somehow it was purifying. Like he had found his resolve. But he was filled with so many regrets and so much he wanted to see through. He felt incomplete. He felt sad and lonely. He felt ashamed and so weak. So much doubt, so much regret. He wasn't ready for this yet. There was still so much for him. He couldn't be dead after such a short amount of time. There was no way.

Looking at Linnette one final time, Victor's eyes closed. There were so many things he would miss. All those happy memories came rushing back to him. Much a simple but happy life they had. As simple as it could be, all things considered. He would miss Linnette, of course. Without her, his life had no meaning or purpose. How he would miss tucking her in at night, telling her stories, cooking for her, going shopping together. Her hugs. Her eyes. Her smile. And her song. How he would miss that.

How he would miss Linnette.

Now, where to go from here? What afterlife awaited him, the inhuman creation from a child's desperate desire? Where did wishes go when they died?

His body plummeted to the ground and slammed into the pavement with a resounding thud. His body lay in a heap, unmoving and useless.

Realizing that this was all real, realizing that he was gone forever out of her life, Linnette's legs came out from under her, weak from emotion. She cupped her hands over her mouth and started to sob loudly, every tear she had, pouring forth.

Victor, her Victor, was dead.

The sounds of battle came back to Ichigo's ears. Amidst all the yelling and sounds of multiple fights going on around them, Ichigo could hear Linnette crying loud and clear. All the pain she had hit him like a massive hail storm.

He looked at the man on the building, looking so pleased with himself. He growled. "Damn it, Yumichika!"

"Don't ignore me!"

Ichigo stuck out his sword, blocking Hitsugaya's attack from behind. He was filled was such rage, such confusion, such pain. Victor, a man who could not be broken or bleed, was dead. All to help him. Maybe if he hadn't held back so much he would still be here. Was it wrong for him to use them as a shield in order to protect himself from Yumichika's stinger? Was that what weakened him? How could this have happened? Was it all his fault?

Hitsugaya slashed again at him in vain, trying to make this enemy of his master bleed. Once more, he was blocked.

"Toshiro…"

"I said don't call me that!"

Ichigo turned his head, looking at him, his eyes ablaze. "… I'm in no mood right now."

Such a glare was enough to make even the captain of Squad 10 back off. He wasn't giving up the fight. He just wasn't sure what was going to happen if he got any closer.

"Toshiro, wake up. You don't want to do this. You and I both know that."

Hitsugaya looked down.

"Tell me the truth. You don't want to fight us, do you?"

He looked at his reflection in his sword. "… I… No, I… don't."

"Then why don't you just stop before this gets even worse?"

He hesitated. "Because I… I can't. Though I know that I don't want to keep this up, I can't disobey the orders given to me."

"You're a captain, he's a 5th Seat on another squad."

"I know that! But…" Hitsugaya looked unsure. He knew this was all wrong. "But… I feel like I have to."

"But you don't."

"I know I don't! But I want to!" He tried his best to explain. "I'm just… so loyal to him. I feel… inside I feel… I can't describe it, but it compels me to do these things. Like I don't care about anything else. I want to please him and make him happy. I'm so loyal to Yumichika. I know that last week I would have never done these things and that I could care less about the things he had to say to me. But now, all that's changed. Now I want to. And when I see how happy it makes him when I do something right… it makes me feel good inside. Proud, happy… I want to make him pleased with me."

Like a faithful dog, it didn't care how right its master was, it only wanted to serve. A dog would do anything to please its master, whatever the cost, no matter what it was, a dog would obey and look for its master's approval. That was their nature. Even when food was involved. When told to wait, no matter how hungry they were, the dog would stay put and wait for its master's command. When told to sit, even if it didn't want to, it would sit when commanded. Hitsugaya was no different. That toxin in the stinger didn't alter their minds or brainwash them. It just made them loyal to the one who stung them.

At last, Ichigo had it all figured out. He was right. It was pointless to try to talk them out of this. It was pointless to reason. He just had to take them down. One by one.

Ichigo sighed. "There's no way you're going to stop, are you?"

He shook his white head, tiny snowflakes falling from his hair as he did.

"Fine." He held up his sword. "Sorry about this."

Hitsugaya nodded again.

"Getsuga Tensho!"

Hitsugaya dodged and struck back.

* * *

><p>NOOOO! Victor! I liked him! He was cool! A jerk and a big idiot at times, but awesome just the same! Anyone else feel the same?<p>

Please review! ^-^


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16:**

After twenty minutes of crying, Linnette was finally able to open her eyes again without more tears coming down. She had run out of tears. She hadn't cried for so long. It didn't make her feel any better. Opening her eyes and not being able to see Victor standing before her only made her want to cry more.

How could he be gone?

He was always there for her. The little things; everything. She wanted him back. Sure, she still had Cedric, but he wasn't Victor. She wanted both of them.

She began to wonder if this was all her fault? Was it because of her that Victor was dead? If only she hadn't begged for them to help her help Ichigo, none of this would have happened. They should have just stayed home where it was safe.

No, that was wrong. She would have regretted that even more. Not trying was the wrong thing to do. Ichigo was her friend and needed help. They were willing and able. What right did she have to refuse when he needed them? She had a feeling that if she hadn't helped him at all, Ichigo would have joined Yumichika by now, built an army and taken over the Soul Society. After that, they would have come to her world anyway and taken over her home. Her friends would be killed, everyone in the city would be helpless and she would be in even greater danger. No, it was best to help. It was best that she did this.

But was it worth losing Victor?

She created him to be hers. She created him so be everything and equipped him with everything necessary so that he could remain with her forever. She wished for him and Cedric. She wished for them. How long did wishes last before they die away?

Her life before them was horrible. She cried everyday. No one would help her. No one gave her any hope. The adults were mean, the other kids were bullies. She wanted a family more than anything. But no one wanted her. Potential parents would pass her by without a second glace, without a care. When she would pointedly ask them to adopt her, they would tell her that they didn't want her. They wanted another child. They would always pick someone else. Never her. Like a toy on a store shelf, they wanted a child to suit their taste. Never once was it her. She wasn't good enough.

The other girls she shared a room with would tease her constantly and tell her that it was hopeless. That no one would ever want her. That was proven again and again. Soon, even those mean girls were adopted as well leaving her to watch helplessly as they rode home with their new family. After she left the window, she would return to her dismal life and continue the same routine.

Everyday she would wish for someone to take her away. She fantasized often about a handsome prince or a magical being coming in through her window to take her away to a happy ever after, like the characters in the story books she struggled to read. At times, it seemed like such a thing could only happen in story books. No happy endings existed here in this world. There was no magic and there was no one who would could save her.

Story books. Her only outlet, her only escape from this world.

That was where Victor had come from, actually. His makeup, charming personality and handsome looks, his kindness… He was based off the princes in her story books. She wanted a gentleman, someone with class to show her a better life. That was how he originated. That was the ideal man for her. It was easy to love someone like that.

Cedric was important as well. But he was no prince. Everything Victor wasn't, he was. It wasn't classy for a true gentleman to be tough or strong. Though a gentleman would protect their girl, they would do it in a diplomatic manner, never with their fists. And Victor's body was too thin, lacking muscle. Linnette watched fathers carry their small children around on their shoulders with ease and saw what good pillows they made when a child wanted to sleep on top of them. Victor wasn't fit for such a thing. She wanted someone big and strong. Someone to be a little more of a father figure to her. They both were like fathers to her in a way, but Cedric was slightly more what she thought a father should be like. Someone who could get dirty and someone who didn't have to look dignified all the time. Strong and fit for anything.

Victor was the suit, Cedric was the one in casual clothing. Both were the same, yet different. They both loved her greatly. The men themselves were like brothers, having been born the same way by the same person, yet not looking related and therefore like a couple of good friends. All Linnette knew was that they were hers.

In fact, that day she was adopted was the very first time she had ever met them. When she saw them for the first time, it was Victor whom she saw first. Cedric was a close second. It was Victor who held out his hand to her with a smile. It was his hand, his warmth that she touched first. She loved how big Cedric was and how easily he could carry her. She loved how Victor treated her like a princess. How handsome he was. She met both of them that day. She was taken away from her horrible environment that day and given a new and better life. That day, she felt like she was loved. That was the day, for the first time in her life, she heard someone tell her that they loved her.

They were both irreplaceable. They were both hers. She wished for them and she got them. They were meant to be with her forever.

She refused to believe that Victor was really gone. Perhaps she could wish him back. She wished for them before, so why not again?

But that seemed impossible. When she did that the last time, she got a new one. A different version of Victor, keeping some qualities and getting rid of others to improve himself for her sake. She didn't want to create a new Victor. She wanted that one. She wanted _him_. There was no one else for her. There was nothing else.

"Getsuga Tensho!"

A sudden rush of cold air and a powerful blast blew her hair into her face from behind. The sound of explosions caused her to look up. Above her, Ichigo and Hitsugaya were still fighting. They were both bloody and panting, but still fighting. Neither one was going to back down. The fight would end when one of them died.

She stood up. She had done her crying. She had lost Victor; she wasn't going to lose another. The reason they were here was to help Ichigo. That is what she was going to do. Her normally cheerful face twisted into a serious battle glare. Ichigo needed help. She wanted to help. She wasn't going to stand back and watch while another dear friend met their end before her eyes. She would prevent it. She would help.

Linnette peered over the edge of the building she was on. It was a long 42 floors down. Unlike Soul Reapers, she couldn't stand in midair or leapt great distances. She was human. There was nothing extraordinary about her body. She would bleed and she could die.

Hitsugaya slashed the air with his sword, creating an ice whip, freezing everything it touched. It ended about seven feet from the edge of the building Linnette was standing on and stretched up towards another pillar of ice. All of Hitsugaya's attacks had left trails of ice everywhere in a snowy, sparkling maze in the air.

Believing that she could make it to Ichigo by climbing around on the ice, Linnette got ready to take the first step…

… or rather leap.

She backed up several long steps until she was in the center of the building's roof. Making sure she was lined up properly, she took in a deep breath. Bending her knees, she took off running towards the edge.

Distracted by the sudden movement, Ichigo looked down. "Linnette, no!" She was getting closer to the edge of the building, picking up speed as she went. There was no way she would survive such a fall.

She kept going until her right foot touched the edge of the building. She pushed off as hard and as fast as she could. Her body went flying through the air, wind slapping her face. She saw the ice coming up fast and shut her eyes, her arms spread out in front of her.

She hit the corner of the ice on her stomach, her legs dangling over the edge. Using her arms to pull herself up, Linnette kicked her legs until she felt the glass-like ice on her knees. Ice creaked and broke as she climbed onto the bed of ice, making sure to stand where the ice was the thickest.

Breathing heavily, Linnette looked up at the sky, squinting in the sunlight. Ichigo was right there. Just a couple ice platforms away. She didn't know how to help him. She couldn't fight and she had no weapon. Perhaps she could at the very least grab Hitsugaya from behind and hold him back so he couldn't hurt Ichigo anymore. She started moving again.

Hitsugaya tried again at bringing Ichigo down. The tip of his sword pierced Ichigo's right leg. Ichigo took the pain in stride and stabbed Hitsugaya back. He curved the blade away at the last second so it missed his heart, scrapping across his rib instead. Such a hit did nothing to faze the captain. He held up his hand.

"Hado 33, Sokatsui!"

Ichigo moved to the right, taking the blast in the shoulder. It burned through his clothes and seared his skin. Ignoring the terrible pain, he moved to attack Hitsugaya again. Their swords stuck in each other, it was a close range fight. Ichigo tried to head butt Hitsugaya, but missed. Hitsugaya swiped Ichigo with one of his wings. The hit was hard enough to dislodge Ichigo from his sword, falling backwards.

Hitsugaya lifted his sword and drew it across the sky, unleashing a barrage of ice spears the size of soccer balls. Ichigo picked up speed as he zigzagged between the frozen strikes. One shattered on his right knee just above his open wound. He winced in pain, continuing to move. He couldn't avoid them forever, but he had to make sure the next strike didn't cost him.

"Give up, Ichigo!" Hitsugaya unleashed another round of ice. "I really am going to kill you if you insist on dragging this out any further!"

Ichigo gave his sword another sweep across the sky. "Getsuga Tensho!"

Hitsugaya jumped, catching it in his legs. The attack didn't make it through his ice armor. Glaring, Hitsugaya pulled himself into a sudden dive. Ichigo followed him. Hitsugaya spread his wings and soared upward again. Ichigo did the same, avoiding a skyscraper on his way up. His reflection was caught in every tinted window he passed, matching his movements. Hitsugaya clung close to the building until the roof passed him by below. He turned, waiting for Ichigo to catch up.

A trap. Ichigo figured as much. That's why he had come up with something cunning as well. He came around the other side of the building to sneak up behind Hitsugaya. Once he made it to the roof, he was greeted with a sword in his face. The sword Hitsugaya held sliced into Ichigo's left cheek, coming extremely close to his eye. He jumped away, but not fast enough to avoid the sword scrapping across his legs.

Ichigo fell backwards onto the rooftop, bleeding out.

"Told you." Hitsugaya raised his sword, leaving himself wide open. Ichigo couldn't reach his sword in time to block or attack.

A heeled shoe hit Hitsugaya from behind. He blinked.

"Get away from him!" Linnette held up her other shoe threateningly.

The captain turned. "Pest."

"Linnette!" Ichigo shouted to her. "Get out of here! You're supposed to be somewhere safe!"

She shook her head. "No! I want to help! I don't…" New tears found their way to her eyes. "I don't want to lose anyone else!"

Ichigo's face softened.

Hitsugaya pointed his sword over his shoulder casually at her. "Sennen Hyoro!"

Several tall ice pillars appeared around Linnette's body, circling her. They were coming closer. She came back away from the edge, trying to escape. Her small skinny body couldn't fit between the moving pillars. It was a prison of ice.

The captain turned back around. "She was in the way, anyhow."

Ichigo jumped to his feet without thinking. "Lin-"

Something sharp went through his body. Hitsugaya's sword was sticking out from between Ichigo's ribs. On the other end, Hitsugaya pulled his sword back out, his face showing no emotion. He was so cold.

"I'm sorry, Ichigo. But you shouldn't have interfered."

Ichigo staggered backwards, his foot finding nothing but air. He began to fall over the edge of the building, hearing Linnette's scream as he watched the building gain height.

He freefell several stories down, knowing his skull was going to be smashed the moment he landed. Just when he was thinking that he was going to hit the bottom, a hand reached out and pulled him back up. Another hand grasped his left arm, pulling him higher.

"… Kira… Cedric…"

Kira didn't look at him at all as they climbed higher.

Cedric acknowledged him as they passed a flagpole sticking out of the side of the building. "Without Victor, things have become slightly harder. We're losing a lot of allies."

"… I know."

He looked back at Ichigo. "Linnette isn't going to last at this rate."

It was his job to protect her. He could have gotten her out of there by now if he hadn't gone back to save Ichigo. "… why did you… save me and leave her behind… Cedric?"

He looked as if he were in pain. "Because she asked me to." She told him to save Ichigo if his life was at immediate risk and leave her if the danger wasn't imminent.

Kira set Ichigo down on a balcony and started to heal him.

Once Ichigo's lungs found air again, he pushed Kira aside. "No. Not yet. Not now."

"What do you mean? You're hurt!"

"I know that…" He looked back up at the ice. "But I have a promise to fulfill."

Back above them on a rooftop, Hitsugaya stood, watching his icy pillars slowly closing in around Linnette. He was holding his sword loosely by his side, its tip resting on the frozen ground. She struggled to find a way out. At this point, her only option was to perhaps climb out through the top, but their rotation made it difficult to hold on. She watched Hitsugaya's image from between the spinning pillars of ice. He wasn't doing anything. Was he enjoying this?

Getting an idea for possible escape, Linnette started to use the heel of her sandal to chip away at the ice, but to no avail. She was stuck and she knew it. As a last ditch effort to free herself, Linnette called out to the captain.

"Yumichika never told you to kill me! So why are you?"

The pillars slowly came to a stop. She pressed her face between them, the ice stinging her cheeks. Hitsugaya had come closer to speak to her. "I know. That's true. But…"

"You're going to kill me anyway? Like you did Ichigo?"

He saw her tears and felt terrible for what he had done. The only thing to cheer him up was the knowledge that his master would be pleased. That may have just been enough to make it worth while. "I don't have to kill you… Not unless Yumichika asks it of me." He lifted his gaze to her tear stricken face. "But I am going to keep you in here until a decision can be made. Perhaps he will let you live. Perhaps not. It's not my call."

"So you're going to keep me in here until you finish killing off everyone else?" The thought of losing everything and everyone was unbearable. She was in this battle to protect them, to help them. Now they were going to make her watch helplessly while everyone died around her. Fueled by anger, Linnette reached through the bars of her prison to grab him. He leaned back, out of her reach.

Without another word, Hitsugaya started to take his leave.

"Please!" She was reduced to begging. There was nothing else she could do. "Please don't! Please!"

With a flick of his sword, the pillars closed, cutting her off from the outside world.

The clouds above swallowed up the sun, a gust of wind coming from the east, carrying with it the smell of water. This was the perfect place for Hitsugaya's zanpakuto power. There was plenty of water all around them to absorb into his blade. It was an endless supply of ice. He was confident that nothing could defeat him. But he wasn't cocky.

Inside the ice prison, Linnette started crying all over again, scared and worried. How many more people was she going to lose this day? First Victor and now Ichigo. Was she doomed from the start to remain alone? It was torture to finally obtain friends only to have them taken away in a heartbeat. There was no sign of Cedric anywhere. Everyone had either converted to Yumichika's side or were dead. She was sure of it. She was doomed to remain alone. Who would help her now? She never felt more alone than she did right now in her small frozen chamber.

"Woof!"

Linnette's eyes opened. She looked around. The tall pillars had cut off a lot of the sound from outside but she could have sworn that she heard a bark. A kind of code that stood for loyalty and devotion. A sign that no matter what the danger or the future, they would be there at her side. To help her. A single little noise that translated to her to mean 'you are not alone and never will be'.

Hearing the bark himself, Hitsugaya looked down and saw a still injured Ichigo coming up fast. He was still alive. Hitsugaya blocked, their fight going for another unexpected round.

Ichigo wasted no time. The longer this match went on, the greater the captain's edge became. He knew that. Even now, he could feel his body becoming more sluggish by the minute. This had to end.

They leapt at each other wordlessly. There was no longer a need for words.

Ichigo stumbled back, panting after three heavy strikes. Hitsugaya could wield his sword one-handed, but even with both hands on his own grip, Ichigo struggled to block the captain's easy swings. Taking in a breath, Ichigo dove in again for another strike. Hitsugaya diverted the blow with a flick of his wrist like it was nothing. He diverted another strike, sliding his own blade toward Ichigo's chest. Now on the defensive, Ichigo jumped aside. Hitsugaya struck again from below. For a moment, their blades locked.

With a yell, Ichigo threw the captain back. He skidded across his own ice floor, taken by surprise. He had no idea that Ichigo still, even in his condition, still possessed so much strength. Fed up with this continuing battle, Hitsugaya charged, ready to finish him.

Ichigo was no fool. He knew that Hitsugaya had grown tired as well. He could see it in his trembling body and his lack of breath. Keeping a cool head, Ichigo prepared himself for the attack.

He purposely stepped in the sword's path, taking it in his left arm. He pulled his left hand up, gripping the sword's handle right on top of the boy's ice-covered hand and held it in place. No matter how much he twisted and pulled, Hitsugaya couldn't get his sword free. It was stuck in Ichigo's arm, right by the bone. Held in place by Ichigo's strength and anatomy, there was nothing to block the next attack. Ichigo's black sword sank deep into his chest, missing his heart, but ripping open a lung. His mouth filled with blood, letting it ooze between his lips.

Their eyes met. Ichigo's was pleading for silent forgiveness while Hitsugaya's held nothing but surprise and pain.

The wings of his bankai slowly started to fade away, breaking up into tiny fragments of ice and snow. He coughed up more blood and his body went limp. Ichigo pulled his sword out and slowly lowered Hitsugaya to the ground. He was still breathing, his heart was still beating. He wasn't going to die from this.

As he lay Hitsugaya down, he looked up at the ice prison which still hadn't fallen. Linnette was trapped inside. He left Hitsugaya behind, lifting his sword again. "Linnette, if you can hear me, get down!" He waited five seconds before he made his careful move. "Getsuga Tensho!"

The attack sliced off the top of the pillars and the front of the prison started to crumble away, revealing the one inside.

Laying facedown on the floor, Linnette slowly looked up. She stared at Ichigo as if debating whether or not this was a dream. The clouds parted, shedding light on Ichigo's body, illumination him. It looked as if he were glowing, like a guardian angel.

"… Ichigo…"

He smiled gently at her. "Woof."

Overjoyed, Linnette threw herself at him. She wasn't alone. He didn't leave her after all. He was still here, willing, protective and faithful. Like a dog. Like one of her own. She started crying into his shoulder, this time out of relief. "I'm so glad you're not dead! I thought I lost you, too!"

Knowing that she couldn't see his face, Ichigo frowned. _Victor_… He couldn't let her lose anyone else. He refused to let this child be alone again. He didn't want her to suffer like that ever again. Even without knowing all the details, he knew it must have been rough for her; more than anyone let on.

"Linnette." Cedric had come up to stand beside them. She jumped out of Ichigo's arms and into his. He held her like a baby, holding up her sandal. "I keep telling you to wear these. Did it fall off again?"

She shook her head, smiling and shedding happy tears. "No… I threw it. I'm sorry, Cedric."

"That's fine." He put the sandal back on her foot, completing the pair. "There. All set."

Linnette's eyes suddenly focused on something over their shoulders. They turned around.

Yumichika was standing over the injured Hitsugaya, looking disappointed and angry. "I can't relay on you for a simple task, can I?"

Coughing up the last bit of blood he had in his mouth, Hitsugaya turned to face him, on his knees. "Forgive me… I'm sorry…"

He gave Hitsugaya a cold look.

"… my lord?"

He gave his hair a flip. "I have no use for a weakling in my group." He unsheathed his sword.

"Master…" Hitsugaya's eyes were on that zanpakuto.

Yumichika sighed, not looking all that saddened by it. "Oh… I'm sorry, Hitsugaya. You were good up 'til this point. But you failed." He pointed the tip of his sword at him. "I'm going to have to kill you now."

Hitsugaya's eyes were wide, but not as wide as the others'.

"What?" Ichigo spat. "You're going to kill him?"

"Why not? I have no room for weaklings. I planned to kill them all anyway. They are Soul Reapers, after all."

"What?" Ichigo was shocked.

"Oh, yes," Yumichika explained. "I was only planning on using them until I got what I wanted. Then I was going to finish them all off. Soul Reapers are the enemy, after all. Besides… I can't have any competition."

So that was his plan all along. Once he took over completely, he planned on killing all his servants. Was that really how a beehive worked? Was that what the queen bee did to her worker bees if they were useless to her and could no longer serve? Killing all of them must have been the Hollow's idea. He didn't want to risk it. Or perhaps it just didn't want any Soul Reapers around in the first place.

Hitsugaya stared at Yumichika for a long time, looking at the sharp blade every few seconds. Then he nodded his head and lowered himself into a good position for beheading. "Very well. I understand, master. Please, do it whenever you like. Through my failure begins closure."

"No way!" Ichigo shouted again. "Don't do that, Toshiro! What's wrong with you? You're just going to throw your life away so easily because he told you to? What the hell?"

He glanced up at him while keeping his head bowed. "I failed. My master doesn't like failure. I'm weak in his eyes. What good is a weak fighter? An army's only as good as its weakest warrior. I have to die in order to redeem myself and to please Yumichika in knowing that there is no longer a weakling among them."

"That's punishment for losing a fight? Death? I've seen plenty of movies on this kind of crap and I've never been a fan of it. Don't let him kill you, Toshiro!"

Cedric narrowed his eyes at Yumichika. This was the man who killed his partner. That Hollow under his skin made him murder his equal. He caused Linnette to cry so much. Unforgivable.

"Ichigo."

At the sudden call from Cedric, Ichigo looked back. "Yeah?"

"You're hurt. Allow me to take care of Yumichika. You take care of Linnette."

Both protested.

"Cedric, you'll end up like Victor!"

"No way in hell! I'm not going to let you do that! What is this, revenge or something?"

"His stinger won't harm me. I'm also thinking of you. You can't fight like this."

"But Cedric-"

This gave Yumichika a sudden idea. "Ah, I know what to do…" He looked back at Hitsugaya. "Ok, Hitsugaya, how about this… You can redeem yourself by taking out that man there." He gestured to Cedric. Taking out the only other immune person to his stinger as well as a man with such extraordinary power would have been a blessing. "I'll take on Ichigo."

Hitsugaya looked back and forth between them. "Sir?"

"I think that's fair. This way Ichigo and I can have the fight we've been wanting from the start. I won't be killing you if you do a good job and if all goes well, his man will die and join his friend. Everybody wins."

"… And the girl?" Hitsugaya asked.

Yumichika smirked. "Do whatever you can. If she dies, she dies. Just don't go out of your way to do it."

"Understood, my lord."

"What? I never agreed to-" Ichigo was cut off when Hitsugaya shot off like a rocket towards Cedric and Linnette.

Cedric flashed away, landed on a building to set Linnette down and flashed off again to duel Hitsugaya in the sky.

This left only one person.

Ichigo turned, his eyes meeting Yumichika's.

"Let's get started then, shall we? Since you're going all out, I should, too." Yumichika called out the name of his blade. "Bloom, Fuji Kujaku!" His blade split and their fight began.

* * *

><p>Kick ass! Please review! ^-^<p> 


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17:**

Sparks flew in front of Ichigo's face as their blades locked. They pulled away at the same time only to come at each other again. Yumichika's blade danced in the air like a symphony-conductor's baton. Ichigo struggled to block Yumichika's graceful but deadly swings. He was able to wield his sword so easily. Ichigo struggled to keep up with his easy movements.

It was like a hundred fencers coming at him at once and Ichigo had to tap all his skill and power to defend himself from the attacks coming from every direction. His ears began to ring from the noise. There was no pause in the violent frenzy. With a smirked, Yumichika tossed Ichigo's body up into the air with little effort at all. Ichigo looked back and saw the four-bladed sword pointed at him. He tried and failed to block the attack with his sword, tip entering his chest. Yumichika flung Ichigo towards the ground and was already pursuing him with his sword pointed sideways, ready to dice.

Ichigo spat up blood, and slammed into the ground below, spraying a line of blood from his chest. Staggering up, he looked around. He was in a neighborhood, small children playing in their concrete yards behind metal fences. None of them could see the Soul Reaper standing in the middle of the street. This would have been a great place to fight, plenty of parked cars and tall buildings to hide behind and an open street. But Ichigo couldn't risk it with the children and anyone else who may have been nearby. He looked up and saw Yumichika land gracefully on the street in front of him. He was barely hurt at all.

"Finished yet, Ichigo?" he asked in a mocking voice.

His answer was a leap into the sky. Yumichika followed him. Ichigo tried to shake him, but couldn't. The next thing he felt was the blades slipping between his ribs from behind. Laughter filled his ears, the man behind him enjoying every minute of this. Ichigo slipped from his blade, falling out of the sky again. There was only so much he could take. He tried to aim himself as he fell. He landed on a rooftop, his legs hitting the edge, knocking a corner of the building free and falling to the street below with a resounding crash. Ichigo's body rolled across the rooftop, leaving a trail of blood behind. Panting, Ichigo struggled into a sitting position.

Yumichika landed on the corner of the building, his feet spread apart to straddle over the part Ichigo had chipped away. He licked his lips and cocked his head to the side. "This is a pitiful sight, Ichigo. Look at you… all weak and covered with blood. How unsightly." He gave him a smile. "But kind of fitting, don't you think?"

Ichigo blinked, trying to keep from blacking out. He was dizzy from blood loss. He couldn't even don his Hollow mask if he tried. What good would it do him anyway if he couldn't move his own body?

"I mean… you look good splattered with blood. I like it." Yumichika inhaled deeply. "Ahh… To tell you the truth, red was never a preferred color of mine. I like it and all, but not by its self. It draws your eye." He started laughing. "But think how beautiful the Soul Society would look all covered in red, soaked with blood? Ha ha! I think that would be beautiful! Don't you think? It would be a nice change from the white and boring Seireitei, wouldn't you agree? I can picture it now! How lovely! A crimson Soul Society!" He started laughing uncontrollably. "I don't know why I never thought of it before!"

_Because the Hollow didn't tell you to_… Ichigo thought to himself. _The Hollow's convincing you that it would look good. That;s why you want it. I wish you'd wake up already, you idiot_.

"I'll see it for myself soon enough. After I take over the Soul Society, I plan on slaughtering every single Soul Reaper, even the ones under my command."

"What?" Ichigo hacked up more blood with the sudden outburst.

"You didn't know?" He started laughing all over again. "I'm only using them to get what I want. I never intended to leave them alive! I may keep my favorites, the ones I feel are most useful to me, but everyone else will die. Hollows have to eat, too. Ha ha! The streets of the Seireitei will run red with the blood of the Soul Reapers!" He burst into hysterics.

That Hollow had to die! Ichigo wanted to reach inside him and pull that damn thing out with his bare hands right now. It had turned Yumichika into this monster. That Hollow's influence was strong.

Yumichika stopped laughing and the two of them turned to look at the newcomer who had decided to join them. Rukia stood on the edge of the building until Yumichika gave her permission to approach. She stood between the two of them, staring at Ichigo.

"Is there anything you wish for me to do with him, my lord?"

Yumichika poked his cheek thoughtfully. "I don't want him to die just yet… I'm still interested in converting him. So why don't you hold him still for me? He's on his last legs anyway. Shouldn't be too much of a bother for you."

"Yes, sir." Rukia held out her blade. "Sorry, Ichigo."

He spat out more blood and gave her a pleading look. "Rukia, please…"

"Orders are orders…" She held her sword high over her head, the tip pointed at Yumichika who stood directly behind her. "Tsugi no mai, Hakuren!"

Ice shot out of the tip, freezing anything in its path. Traveling in a straight line, an ice pillar froze Yumichika's legs and trapped him on the edge of the building. His upper body wobbled and swayed, trying to maintain balance, unable to move anything below his knees. He lay his hands on the ice rod and shot Rukia a look.

"Why..? How could you do that? I'm your master! I stung you! You're not supposed to be able to attack me!"

Rukia helped Ichigo to his feet, holding her sword in her right hand. "You didn't sting me."

"Yes, I did! I felt it! I know I did!"

"You only thought you did." Once Ichigo was standing, Rukia rolled up her sleeve, showing the upper part of her arm. It looked like leather armor. It was about as thick as a hardcover book and it was strapped to her arm, providing her protection. "In addition to the device, I left Squad 12 with another important item. I asked Nemu if she had any sort of armor and described to her what I was looking for. She gave me this. It mimics the proper feel of skin, capable of stopping anything equivalent to a syringe or a thin blade. It didn't stop your stinger, it only prevented it from reaching my skin. It was enough to fool you into thinking that you had succeeded and for me to escape with everything intact."

Yumichika looked stunned. "But… You… You acted as if… acted like…"

"Like I was effected." She smiled. "I wasn't tailing you for nothing this past week. I picked up a few things from your victims."

Of course. Rukia was studying Yumichika. Everywhere he went, everything he did, how his mannerisms had changed, everything. She had also been observing how his victims behaved after being stung. She carefully took note of everything they said or did after being affected. Using that information combined with her acting ability, Rukia had successfully pulled off the perfect ploy. She faked getting stung so Yumichika wouldn't attack her anymore and let her in on everything they were planning. Knowing how all the victims reacted after being stung, Rukia knew exactly what to say and do, convincing Yumichika that she was a loyal servant to him. Allowing her to get this close to him enabled her to get close enough to trap him.

Her acting, her knowledge, everything was perfect. And Ichigo was very impressed.

"Ichigo, are you ok?"

He looked at her. "How do I look to you?"

"I meant can you still stand and breath at the same time?"

"Yeah."

They watched Yumichika struggle and try in vain to break the ice away with his zanpakuto.

"Now that we have him trapped, we have another issue to address," Rukia said. "Now we have to find a way to get that Hollow out of him. This is not going to be easy."

Ichigo wiped the blood out of his eye. "Any ideas?"

"I contacted Kisuke a while ago about it. It wasn't good news."

He felt his heart sink. "Oh?"

"Apparently, anything we can come up with to pull that Hollow out by force will only end up hurting Yumichika and not the Hollow."

"How do you mean?"

"If we try taking the Hollow out by force, in anyway, we'll end up either killing Yumichika on the spot or end up with him being a vegetable for the rest of his life. Even if we went ahead and did that, the Hollow will just get away and find a new host to attach itself to, repeating the problem. Cutting into him won't work either. We don't even know if we go ahead and do that, that the Hollow will be right there on the other side of his skin. It's only a theory. Even if we did know that, the Hollow is too close to his spin with all the nerves and everything else. It's on his neck. It's on a crucial part of his body. Close to the head, the neck, right along the spine… There's no way we can do anything without seriously hurting him."

"So what can we do? I know killing him isn't an option either. We've been over that."

Rukia sighed. "Kisuke said that our only option is for the Hollow to leave his body on its own."

"What?"

"The Hollow has to leave willingly. That's the only way we can keep from doing serious harm to Yumichika, and hope it won't find a new host in the meantime."

Ichigo didn't like what he heard. "So you're telling me that the Hollow has to leave on its own when it feels like it? That'll be never! It's all snug and comfy hiding inside this guy! Why would it leave?"

"It's a parasite, Ichigo. It's like a leech, it attaches itself in order to survive and then leaves to find a new host when this one is useless. That's how they live. He's just using Yumichika, feeding off of him. That's our best bet if we want to…"

She broke off mid-sentence, looking up at the sky.

"What?" Ichigo looked up and saw a Soul Reaper with red hair coming closer. "Perfect…"

"Bankai!" There was a thunderous blast followed by a powerful gust of wind and smoke. Ichigo and Rukia fell to their knees, trying to avoid the large shards of ice flying towards them and shattering on impact with the roof. They both looked up and saw Yumichika now standing free beside Renji in his bankai state. Hihio Zabimaru hissed and roared, looking for enemies.

"How dare you attack our master, Rukia! What's gotten into you?"

"It's alright, Renji." Yumichika placed a hand on his shoulder. "She simply decided against joining us. Just as well. What do I want a weakling for anyway?" His smiled turned into a slight frown. "Although… I have to admit that she is very clever. Oh, well." He patted Renji's back. "I leave her to you. I'll deal with Ichigo."

Renji nodded. "Got it."

He was willing to attack her? "But, Renji..!" Rukia couldn't believe it. They were friends. He was willing to kill her? Given the circumstances, she couldn't find it that hard to believe, actually.

Renji leapt towards her. "Sorry, Rukia. No hard feelings." He gave his zanpakuto a flick and Hihio Zabimaru rushed towards her and Ichigo.

Ichigo was hit in the shoulder, shattering a rib and breaking two others. Rukia took the brunt of the hit, getting the bone head of the zanpakuto in her chest. She flew through the air, but refused to go down that easily. Gripping her sword in both hands, she attacked him back.

"Tsugi no mai, Hakuren!"

She only managed to freeze part of the snake creature with her attack, but that wasn't enough to stop its movements.

Ichigo tumbled and rolled across the roof and over the edge. Yumichika was waiting for him, as if he knew this was going to happen and sent Ichigo back into the air with a powerful thrust of his sword.

"To think, all this could have been avoided if only you joined in the first place!"

Ichigo rebounded, only to plummet between two buildings. Ichigo pushed off of a wall and went back up, taking a swipe at Yumichika's chest. He smiled as he fell, dipping backwards like he was falling onto a soft bed to avoid the attack. He tried again while Yumichika hung in the air.

Wearing a sardonic smile, Yumichika twisted around in midair, slicing Ichigo's left leg with his sword. He fell back, keeping a distance between them. Ichigo pursued him, ducking behind a building. Once he was in sight, he took another swipe at his head. Missing.

None of his attacks reached Yumichika.

"So much for speed," Yumichika taunted.

Ichigo cried out as he rushed at him again, Yumichika retreating through the cluster of buildings. Ichigo pressed on in pursuit, his black sword swinging wildly.

Bisected stone pillars and gargoyles succumbed to gravity as they fell one by one to Ichigo's blade. Metal flagpoles reflected the light of the sun like mirrors as they fell to the ground which was already littered with shattered stone and curious civilians.

Yumichika was like the wind, dancing gracefully between Ichigo's strikes. Not one drop of his blood was spilled as he dodged the storm of attacks. It was almost like he was enjoying it. As if he knew that he wasn't going to get hurt in this game of deadly tag. He dodged the diagonal slice of his blade, letting it slide just past his cheek with a grin. In a flash, his hand reached out and attached itself to Ichigo's face. To avoid the stinger soon to come, Ichigo brought his sword close to his face, cutting into Yumichika's waist. Out of sheer pain, Yumichika let go.

This was Ichigo's chance to get away. He climbed into the sky. A moment later, he felt a stinging sensation behind his left leg and looked back. Yumichika had sliced into his left tendon causing him immediate and unbelievable pain. Ichigo crashed into a building he wasn't watching out for and started to fall. Yumichika's almost androgynous form was there to greet him. He mockingly blew him a kiss and slashed him again across the back. Yumichika watched him fall a full twelve stories to the ground and vanish between the cars below.

Limping, Ichigo dragged himself into an alley and under a fire escape to catch his breath. He barely had any strength left at all. "I really hate that guy…" At this point, Ichigo no longer cared which one he meant. They were both a huge pain and impossible to put up with.

* * *

><p>Cedric looked back as Hitsugaya took to the sky once again. He began to pelt him with ice attacks from above. Cedric zigzagged between the deadly strikes, avoiding everyone of them. Frustrated that none of his attacks could reach Cedric, Hitsugaya dove straight down to attack at a closer range. He blasted the man with another attack, chipping away parts of the building he was racing on. He waited for the dust to settle.<p>

He was gone.

There was a large hole in the roof, a possible escape route for Cedric. Daring, Hitsugaya flew closer to the building. He watched multiple images of himself in the tinted windows he passed, unable to see inside the building.

Without warning, Cedric appeared, breaking through the wall of glass and grabbed Hitsugaya by his shoulder. The captain could only watch in amazement as the man's fingernails dug deep into his muscle like claws. They rolled around in the air, going higher and higher, racing towards the sun. They spiraled upward towards the clouds and far from the other battles going on. Cedric plunged his right hand into Hitsugaya's rib. He could feel Cedric's hand curl around one of his bones and broke it like a wish bone with ease. Ignoring the tremendous pain, Hitsugaya swiped at him with his sword, only to have it bounce off his body. He tried again in vain, not realizing that Cedric was bringing him out of the sky.

Hitsugaya wouldn't go down without a fight. He intended to win, regardless of what happened to his body. Taking his injury in stride, he carefully shifted his weight. Now Cedric's larger body was between him and the ground. Cedric pushed against him, but Hitsugaya wouldn't let go. His breath rattled from his lungs with bestial growl.

Wind beat against their faces in the speedy freefall. As the skyscrapers rushed closer, Hitsugaya finally fell away. Knowing something wasn't right, Cedric twisted his head around to look below him.

A split second later, he felt something long and sharp pierce his spine. He gasped for air. His body slowed to an uneasy stop and he looked up at what looked like an enormous spear. A lightning rod.

Hitsugaya hung back watching Cedric hang from his spine on the spire atop a large skyscraper. Surely he would be dead from something like that. Such a strike would have pulverized organs and tissue, tearing through skin and bone. Surely his master would be please now. He had taken down the only other man capable of standing a chance against them, immune to the toxic stinger.

To his great surprise, Cedric wasn't dead. He grasped the lightning rod with both hands and began to drag himself up the pole. The pain must have been blinding, but Cedric's determined face showed no sign of change. This wound wasn't mortal. Not to him, at least. His mannequin body of flesh was made of much sterner stuff than that.

"What the _hell _are you made of?" Hitsugaya couldn't believe that this man was human. His body felt like a human's but it shed no blood. Why wouldn't he die?

Cedric silently dragged himself further up the pole, almost at the top. Just a few more feet to go.

Losing his temper, Hitsugaya threw himself at Cedric in another attack, wanting nothing more than to finish him off. "I'll cut off your head!"

Cedric did a kind of limbo, bending back to allow Hitsugaya's blade to slice clean through the top of the rod. Cedric twisted his body free and stood atop the severed rod coolly.

Hitsugaya twisted around and went after him again. Cedric lured him away towards the close cluster of buildings. Hitsugaya thrust his sword at Cedric only told have it caught by the man he was trying so hard to kill. He curled his hand around the tip, letting it pierce his palm. Cedric looked at Hitsugaya's injuries. He had been impaled multiple times and was still standing. Just barely.

"Please stop this."

Hitsugaya twisted his sword free and stumbled back, panting.

"You're on your last legs as it is. If you continue, you'll only die. What good is that?"

He panted again. "I'll stop when you're dead!"

"Then we'll be here forever."

He took another swipe at Cedric.

Cedric blocked with his arm, using it as another sword. "Please end this. You know that Yumichika's only going to end up killing you anyway when he's finished with you."

"I don't care! I'm only his tool! I'm here to serve him! That's it!"

"Don't you care about your life?"

He didn't answer.

"Everyone you care about is going to end up dead. Don't you care about that at all? You have to know that this isn't the real you. It's the toxin talking. Not you."

There were many things and many people he would miss. If Yumichika succeeded, Momo would be killed. Rangiku, his grandmother… Everyone he loved would be gone.

He shook his head. "No! I don't care about that! I know it's wrong, all of it! But I can't help it! I want to help him! I have to!"

"No, you're don't," Cedric said gently. "You can stop. Anytime."

Hitsugaya swung at him again. "You can't convince me! I'm here to serve Yumichika and that's it! I am his loyal servant. I don't care what happens in the future. Here and now I serve him! I want him to win! I want to please him!" He swung again. "I don't care about anything else! I don't care who I've become! I only want to serve him! Him and him alone! He alone I protect and serve! He alone I obey!" His words reverberated with the force of his conviction. "Now get out of my way and die already! I want you dead! I'll kill y-"

Cutting him off, Cedric moved swiftly behind him and hit Hitsugaya in the back of his head, knocking him out instantly. He fell limply to the ground and lay quietly, sword held loosely in his hand.

Cedric stood above him, massaging his knuckles. It didn't hurt, but he had to hold back a lot of force to keep from breaking his skull. He looked down at the captain with mixed emotions. In a way, they were kindred sprits. They both served someone, regardless. Regardless of the outcome or the effect on others around them. He obeyed Linnette's wishes and served her alone. He loved her greatly and in his heart, he knew that he would fight as hard and as blindly as Hitsugaya did if it meant protecting her. In spite of everything Hitsugaya had put him through thus far, he understood why he did it.

"Sorry about that," he said to the unconscious body. "But this way there is no more bloodshed. You're body's been through enough." He looked up towards the other buildings. "Now to find Linnette."

* * *

><p>We're nearing the end!<p>

Please review! ^-^


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18:**

Ichigo came to rest on another rooftop, fighting to catch his breath. Kneeling, Ichigo looked around at the many battles taking place around them. Rukia seemed to be handling herself quite well against Renji. Off to the left, he could see Rangiku, Kira and Ikkaku all struggling to hold off the army of Soul Reapers and Hollows attacking them from all sides. Byakuya was nowhere to be found. Ichigo guessed that he had taken the fight fair away. Ichigo then looked to the next building over. Linnette was struggling to keep her footing as Soul Reaper after Soul Reaper came at her from every direction, the powerful Cedric holding them off as best he could. He needed another hand… or another partner. They were feeling Victor's loss now more than ever in the fight.

A Hollow smashed into the building, shaking it like a powerful earthquake. Linnette fell to the ground and sat there while Cedric held off their enemies by himself.

How strange. Normally, Hollows would never dare attack Linnette. They loved her. It was the same kind of admiration that could be seen in Yumichika's followers, doing anything asked of them regardless of what it was. But that was only because these Hollows hadn't heard her sing yet. When she sang, Hollows couldn't help but flock to her, wanting to have a better view of the songstress who made them feel so good inside. Hollows would do anything for her at that point. Ichigo's Hollow was no different. That must have been why she wasn't using her voice to protect herself from them. Ichigo was here. She didn't want to turn Ichigo into a Hollow. He had made her promise not to do that anymore and she agreed, knowing what kind of monster he turned into. The only time she broke that promise was a few days ago to protect her friends. Even if the song only lasted a few short seconds, Ichigo could feel his Hollow coming to the surface to greet her.

Ichigo's eyes widened, remembering. He was fighting Yumichika at that time, too. Even while trying to suppress his Hollow, Ichigo made out what was happening around him. He remembered Yumichika going into convulsions. But he wasn't a vizard. He wasn't a Hollow…

… but there was one inside of him.

Hollows would flock to her when she sang. They loved her song. None of them could resist. Yumichika had a Hollow living inside of his body. A Hollow…

"Why didn't I think of that before?"

Maybe it was a long shot. Maybe nothing would happen. Maybe it wasn't enough to draw the Hollow out. Maybe the Hollow needed his body in order to survive so even hearing the song wouldn't be enough to drive it out of him, but it was the only chance they had at this point. Even if it didn't work, at least then they would know.

He shouted to Linnette from the next building. "Linnette!"

She didn't hear him over the loud crash caused by the Hollow trying to climb up the side of the building.

He tried again. "Linnette!"

Hearing her name, she looked around. She spotted him on the roof next to the one she was on. "Ichigo!"

There was no time to explain. "Linnette! Sing!"

She stared at him as if he had grown a second head.

"Sing!" he repeated loudly. "Sing your song to me!"

"Are you crazy?" she called back to him. "You told me not to! Every time I sing, you… and the Hollows… they…"

"That's what I'm counting on!" He gave her a knowing smile, tying to assure her that everything was going to be ok and that it was ok for her to do it.

She still seemed unsure. "But Ichigo… You'll…"

He was aware of the monster he became when she sang. He knew all too well that he went crazy every time her song was unleashed. But he knew his Hollow self well. He understood that he, like all Hollows, wanted to please her. He would do her bidding. And if she told him not to attack anyone, he would obey. He would do anything she asked.

"Linnette, it's ok," he called to her again. "I trust you!"

Her pale face got even paler when she heard that. She was shocked. And also happy. Hearing that he trusted her was the boost she needed to take the stage again. Ichigo was asking her to do it. She wasn't breaking her promise. He wasn't going to hate her for it. He wanted it.

Nodding, she got to her feet and took her spot away from Cedric's battle and faced out over the crowd in the sky. She looked over the buildings and peered down at the street, still searching for any sign of Victor's body. He always did love her singing. He told her so everyday. He would ask for her to sing to him because it felt like being reborn according to him. He said that, to him, her voice was life-giving. It made him feel so alive. It was astounding. Something that he couldn't live without. Such an intoxicating and soothing voice she had. She didn't have many outstanding talents, but singing was the one thing she could do perfectly every time.

She took in a deep breath, preparing herself.

Victor always loved her song. He loved her. She loved him. She missed him.

Feeling as if she were about to cry again, Linnette shut her eyes. _Victor… if you can hear me… if you can see me… if you know what's happening… what I'm about to do… if you're there at all… This is for you. I love you, Victor. I want you back so much. I miss you_.

Her mouth opened and out came the first few notes of her enchanting song.

It started to snare every Hollow in the area, causing them to stop what they were doing and listen. Their vicious roars were reduced to soft growls as they listened contentedly. Their rage was quelled, their hatred set aside. The Hollows below looked upon Linnette like a heavenly being, bathed in light on her high perch. They watched her sing, as if unsure whether or not it was real. They started to flock to her, coming closer to the building.

With the Hollows out of the way, the Soul Reapers could focus on their own kind, scrapping and slashing at them like swatting at flies. Not one of them was paying any attention to the girl on the roof, singing her heart out. Cedric kept them all away from her, tossing away attacking Soul Reapers left and right. His forceful swings and the bodies landed heavily upon the cement building, stirred up a wind blowing behind Linnette. Her long hair curled like a tail towards her face. She paid no attention as she sang.

Ichigo shut his eyes, his vision beginning to blur. He could feel his Hollow coming closer toward his consciousness. He could feel him beginning to take over. He struggled to maintain his sanity for just a little while longer. He squinted into the crowd, spotting Yumichika.

Was the plan working?

His whole body was shaking. Yumichika looked distressed. Something odd was happening to him.

It was working. _Keep singing, Linnette. That's it… Keep it up!_ Ichigo gripped his head tightly. It was becoming painful. He couldn't maintain control for very long. The voice of his Hollow was echoing inside his head.

"Graaaauuughh!" Yumichika screamed, his voice reverberated through the air. He sounded like a man in agony. He thrashed around in the air, screaming. He gripped his neck tightly through his orange clothing. "Burning..! It's burning! It burns! It hurts so much!"

Ichigo couldn't hold on for another second. He shut his eyes tightly, praying that this would all work out.

Yumichika scratched at his neck, right where the Hollow hid beneath the skin. "It hurts! It hurts so much!" He writhed and staggered in the air, trying to relieve himself of the unseen cause of his immense pain.

His eyes fell on the girl in the distance, singing a song with no words. Cedric tossed another Soul Reaper aside with a bang, another man taking his place and firing off a kido attack, causing the air behind her to explode. Her long sapphire dress billowed like a blooming flower. He felt dizzy and sick. Why did he feel this way?

Her song continued without mercy.

Something in Yumichika's mind was beginning to talk. It was hissing and growling. His head started to ache worse than ever. It felt like his head was about to split. Such intense unimaginable pain. The more that girl sang, the worse he felt.

"… That… song…" He growled. Something inside him took control of his vocal cords, speaking for him. Like a ventriloquist's dummy, he spoke the master's will. "… it's beautiful. That song is beautiful."

That wasn't him talking. Something was wrong. Something was inside of him.

He felt something crawling beneath his skin. Something moving…

It started to push up against his skin. His flesh expanded unwillingly. Threatening to tear apart. The creature crawling beneath his skin wanted freedom. A large bump appeared where it was trying to make its escape, pushing harder and harder.

Yumichika couldn't fight back his pain anymore. He threw back his head and screamed. He screamed until he was hoarse.

It was a disgusting sound, like tape being striped off squishy flesh as the Hollow emerged for the first time. It detached itself from Yumichika's neck, seeking freedom beyond its host. The exposed Hollow was so tiny, only about the size of a squirrel. It had the mouth of a cookie-cutter shark and the body of a leech. Its arms were hard to distinguish from the rest of its body, as if it was never fully assimilated.

Once the Hollow was fully separated from its host body, Yumichika fell forward with a thud, never moving a muscle. The Hollow remained in the air for a moment before falling to the ground with him. It scuttled around in the air like an insect, wandering in search for the singer that lured it to the outside.

Linnette stopped singing long enough to call out to Ichigo. "Ichigo! The Hollow! It's out! Get it quick! Kill it!"

An instant before her call, Ichigo had vanished, his Hollow taking over fully. His mouth twisted into a grin, happy to be on the outside and in control of the body he wanted so desperately. At Linnette's call, he turned his head. There was the girl responsible for all of this. Her song was so perfect and wonderful. He hated serving anyone other than himself, but for her, he'd make an exception. She was the only one he didn't mind obeying, especially when it was an order like this.

"I thought you'd never ask!"

He bent his knees and sprang up into the air. Infected Soul Reapers turned around, seeing the teen preparing to attack their master. They rounded on the threat, attacking Ichigo with all they had. Sneering, the possessed Ichigo took aim at his new targets. Grabbing one by the neck, he pulled himself down, falling between the buildings. He pressed the man's face against the side of the building, allowing it to scrap away his flesh at full speed. His screaming only encouraged him to do it more.

Something hit him from behind. Another Soul Reaper. Ignoring the sword in his shoulder, he turned around, dropping the other man and going after his new target. He twisted the Soul Reaper's arm behind his back and kept pulling until he heard it snap like a feeble twig. A third Soul Reaper tried his luck next but didn't get far.

"Please!" Ichigo grabbed his sword in his bare hands and shattered its tip. "You're hardly worth the effort!" These Soul Reapers were beneath his notice. He had another enemy to fight above.

Linnette's song was filling him up. He couldn't get enough. Absolute freedom. Her song allowed him that. He was free. Free at last to do what he wanted! He was finally able to do as he pleased, kill what he wanted.

And right now, there was a Hollow up there that he had yet to deal with. She wanted it done away with and who was he to turn down such a request? And if he did, it would please her. If he pleased her enough, she may sing more. Who knew what would happen then? Maybe he would have this body permanently. Maybe he would get stronger. The more he listened to her song, the more he wanted to satisfy her.

He shot off like a rocket heading straight up into the crowd in front of the building. Her song was even more clear up here with her standing behind him. Her message was clear. Kill the Hollow. Pumped up from the chaos and the song, he was more than ready. He spotted the Hollow she was talking about and took aim. Screeching and howling like a madman, he landed in front of it. Playing a game of cat and mouse, he allowed the Hollow a couple of moves before going after it. It was a weakling. Without a host, it was helpless. It tried to scuttle away, but Ichigo was faster and cut it off. He bowed his body in front of it, licking his lips hungrily, thoroughly enjoying himself. He hissed and growled and caught up to the Hollow again. His hand came crashing down onto its small body.

It screeched and gave out high pitched shrieks. Ichigo's yellow eyes narrowed, his face coming closer. The Hollow thrashed again, fighting for its freedom. Its body felt like thick jelly, The harder Ichigo squeezed, the squishier and goopier its body became. It was like playing with soft play dough.

"You aren't even worth eating," Ichigo's psychotic voice said. "It would be a waste of time. I'd never let something as repulsive as you anywhere near these lips of mine!" He gripped the Hollow in both hands. "But that doesn't mean we can't have a little fun!"

Gripping the small body tightly in his hands, Ichigo began to stretch it. Pulling in opposite directions, Ichigo could feel the Hollow's body beginning to split. He could hear the cracking and gnawing and groaning of its body slowly being ripped apart. Smiling like a maniac, Ichigo pulled even harder, the body stretching like elastic.

Then the sound of bamboo and fabric breaking broke through the air as the Hollow was finally ripped in half. Ichigo threw the severed body, letting it hit the ground and stomped on the lower half as he took the upper half in his hands and started to crush the skull. Grabbing the jaw in both hands, he ripped the upper jaw away from the lower jaw and threw it in the air while he crushed what was left of the body, making sure to leave nothing behind.

The Hollow made no noise as it faded away into death. Ichigo watched the very last of it vanish and cackled madly, enjoying the whole thing. He wanted more. There were very few Hollows left now, but he didn't care. Hollows were Hollows.

Never waiting for permission, he attacked the Hollows below, killing them all. He ripped their arms off their bodies, sliced into their chest, chopped their masks into bits. Laughing wildly, Ichigo kept up the pace, slaughtering them all at an incredible speed.

Screaming with joy, he grabbed a large Hollow by its head and flipped it over onto its back, cutting into its stomach with his bare hands while it roared and cursed him. Ichigo finished off all the Hollows in sight and threw back his head with a loud bestial roar. He howled like a wolf to the moon, his blood soaked body almost glowing in the sunlight.

With the Hollow now gone, many of the Soul Reapers had stopped their fighting, looking around in stunned confusion.

Renji abruptly stopped his attack on Rukia, dropping his zanpakuto to the ground. Rukia lowered her sword in turn. "What the hell was that all about?" Renji asked grumpily as if she had just woken him up in the rudest way possible. "I can't believe what the hell I was thinking! Damn! So that's what it's like. Freaky as hell…"

She stood in front of him. "You alright, Renji?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." He deactivated his bankai. "How about you? Didn't hurt you too badly, did I?"

"Nah. Hardly touched me"

He frowned. "Calling me weak? We can start again if you want."

She kicked him, hating his sense of humor.

Linnette's song stopped and she called out to Ichigo again. "Ichigo!"

He turned around and actually smiled at her. He had the innocent face of a puppy. If he had a tail, it would have been wagging at this point. "Did I do good?" His smile was wide and hopeful.

Knowing this wasn't the real Ichigo, she hesitated. "… yeah. Yes, you did. Thank you. You're strong, alright."

Smiling happily, he bounded over to her, his yellow eyes fixed on her. "… Nice pipes."

"Hm?"

"I like your song."

"Oh… Thank you."

Ichigo's mask had only started to spread across his face when suddenly, it started to recede. The effects of her song were wearing off. Soon he would be back to the old Ichigo.

He sat in front of her on his knees to be at a better level for her to see him without having to look up so much. "I want to hear it again… please?"

She hesitated.

"I love it."

She refused. Rather than tell him that, she patted his head and he closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation. When she stopped, he opened his eyes, the darkness starting to fade. She smiled at him, sending him off with her best. "Thank you for your help. You were awesome."

He chuckled. "I'm always aw…" He broke off there, the last of the darkness fading from his eyes. He sat with his mouth open for another few seconds before Ichigo came back to himself. He blinked, his brown eyes back where they belonged. "Linnette?"

She smiled, happy to have him back.

He looked around. "Did it work? Where's the Hollow?"

"You killed it," Cedric answered, his fights long over. "All the other Hollows, too."

"It's gone? So it's all over?"

He nodded along with Linnette.

Ichigo looked back. "Then where's..?"

"Ichigo!" Rukia was calling him over to something in the air. It looked like a body she was shielding with her own.

Knowing who it must have been, Ichigo hurried over, leaving Linnette and Cedric behind.

* * *

><p>It was dark. Such darkness. Such quiet. It was like nothing he had ever experienced before.<p>

As if someone had turned the volume up on the radio, all the sound came flooding back to his ears. Sounds of the city, voices, cars, people. It returned to him. Along with a voice. A beautiful voice be couldn't live without. A song. A lovely song that reminded him that he was alive. A song, filling him up with purpose and meaning.

He blinked.

He was laying on the ground looking up at the towering buildings surrounding him. At first, he couldn't turn his head. Then he could. His fingers twitched. He tested them, curling them into a fist. He moved his head, testing. Everything seemed to be working fine.

The song on the air lingered for a moment then faded, like a sweet scent on the wind.

"Linnette."

Her song. She was singing again. What did this mean? What happened? What caused her to do such a thing with Ichigo around?

Giving his head a shake, Victor propped himself up on his lower spin. Knowing that something wasn't right, he looked down. "Ah." His legs and the bottom of his suit were laying just a couple feet away, sprawled out sideways. Victor sighed heavily. Everything from the hip down was somewhere else. "No matter," he thought aloud and laid his upper half sideways to reach.

He grabbed the top part of his severed body and dragged it over to the other half. He lined himself up correctly and pulled himself together. The moment the two halves were met, Victor moved his legs. He sat up, getting to his feet. Checking himself on all sides, he gave his handy work an approving nod. The only issue now was his ruined coat.

Sighing heavily, he ripped off the torn suit jacket along with the upper half, discarding it. "What an awful thing to do to a perfectly good suit," he said with remorse. Brushing himself off, he gave a quick look around. "I have to find them."

Giving his body another test, Victor tried to gain speed and leap into the air. It was shaking going, but he managed, leaping onto the first building he saw. Satisfied, he leapt onto another, landing perfectly. His body seemed to be doing well. It recovered quickly. Leaving nothing to change, he took his journey one building at a time. Knowing Linnette was nearby, he continued, wanting to see her.

* * *

><p>Ichigo joined Rukia, kneeling down beside her. She was knelt beside a facedown Yumichika. He wasn't moving. Ichigo carefully turned him over. His eyes were closed and his neck was red, as if someone had rubbed sandpaper against his skin.<p>

"Yumichika?"

He gave no response.

"Yumichika?"

He was answered with nothing.

Ichigo lifted Yumichika up onto his raised knee to listen to his heart. It was beating. He moved his head, feeling Yumichika's soft warm breath on his cheek. He was alive.

"That Hollow did a number on him," Rukia was saying. "I'm sensing very little Spirit Energy from him."

"What's that mean?"

"That Hollow was using him as a host, Ichigo," she explained. "It was like a leech. It had to latch itself onto someone in order to survive. My guess is that it was feeding off of his Spiritual Energy."

Ichigo remembered what he had been told earlier. "That Hollow… Yumichika said that he planned on leaving some strong followers alive."

She nodded. "Most likely for when this body became useless so it would have another to go into."

"So it was going to keep feeding off of Yumichika until there was nothing left?"

"Looks that way."

"Where is he?" Ikkaku's voice tore through the air, shoving stunned Soul Reapers aside. He was making his way over to where Ichigo was kneeling beside Yumichika. "Where is that pompous, narcissistic, sorry excuse for an idiotic bastard?"

Byakuya stepped in, holding Ikkaku back with one hand. "That's enough."

Ikkaku shrugged his shoulder free, shoving Byakuya's hand aside. "Like hell it is! Do you have any idea how much trouble that bastard put us through?"

"… I have an idea." After all, he had just spent his afternoon fighting off Soul Reapers left and right.

"I'll beat the living shit out of him!"

"He's been through enough, Madarame!" Rukia snapped. "He nearly died!"

"He seemed pretty healthy to me when he was kicking ass!" Ikkaku snapped back. "You know, when he wasn't making other people do the fighting for him while he hung back and rested."

That must have been why he seemed so strong to Ichigo. He had been fighting everyone else while Yumichika hung back and watched. While Ichigo got little to no rest at all, Yumichika got to rest up after a fight and let his followers take over from there. Smart move, even if it would be seen as cowardly in some eyes.

Ichigo heard a very faint moan and looked down. "Yumichika?"

Everyone went quiet. It was hard to know what would happen next.

He seemed to be trying to speak but couldn't make the words. He gave another moan.

Ichigo gave him a small shake. "Hey! Come on! Wake up! Can you hear me? Say something."

His eyelashes fluttered, trying to open his eyes. He tried to speak but it came out as a whimper. After numerous tries, he finally managed to open his eyes, ever so slightly. Ichigo could barely see the whites of his eyes, they were barely open. Peeking through his eyelashes, Yumichika's eyes found a hazy looking Ichigo kneeling over him.

"… who… who's..?"

"It's me, Ichigo."

He blinked, fighting to keep his eyes open. "…oh… Ichigo…" He moved his head weakly. He had no strength at all. "… where..?"

"You're in the World of the Living."

"… I am?" He took in a deep breath. "… hurts…"

Rukia moved closer. "Don't worry. We're going to get you treatment right away."

His eyes rolled to the left, looking upon her warily. His lips moved but no sound came out. His strength, what little he had, was gone.

"It's ok. You can rest now. You'll be taken care of. Don't worry."

His lips moved again slightly then stopped. His eyes closed and his body went limp again in Ichigo's arms.

"He's very, very weak…" Rukia said, shaking her head sadly. "That Hollow was slowly killing him without him ever knowing."

The crowd around them parted and Hisagi stepped up, battered and bleeding from his fight with Kira. "I'll handle this." He bent down and started to place his arms under Yumichika's legs and back. "Don't worry, we'll take care of him."

Ichigo watched as Hisagi stood, carrying Yumichika bridal style in his arms. He turned his body toward Byakuya, who nodded. He pulled out his sword and started to open the Senkaimon. "Let's go back and assess the damage."

Hisagi nodded. "Everyone has a lot to answer for, including myself."

Byakuya didn't face him, but his tone was gentle. "It's not your fault."

The lieutenant looked over the crowd of Soul Reapers. "Form a line! We're going back. Those with the heaviest injures go first!"

Byakuya turned back to him. "You take him through first. He's the one closest to death. Get yourself looked at, too."

Hisagi nodded. "Understood, sir. Thank you." He started through the opening doors back to the Soul Society.

Byakuya took charge from there. "You heard. Form a line! Get organized, all of you! We don't need a traffic jam because everyone has to be first. We'll get there." He looked at the army of Soul Reapers Yumichika had brought with him, including the ones who had come to stop it. "However, this is still going to take some time…"

Ichigo watched, a little worried. What did all this mean for the Soul Reapers affected? And what about Yumichika? Even if he was going to live, was he still going to be the same way he was before? What was the Head Captain going to say about it? Was Yumichika going to be killed anyway for his crimes?

"Ichigo."

He turned to see Byakuya watching him closely. He glanced over his shoulder, looking at something on a nearby building.

"Shouldn't you check on that girl?"

He flinched, suddenly remembering Linnette. He spun around and saw her on the roof behind him, Cedric standing with her. "Linnette." He jumped down from the sky and glided towards them, landing softly behind them.

Cedric stood with Linnette in his chest, supporting her back with his hand. Even as Ichigo approached, she never turned his way.

"Linnette…"

She didn't answer him.

"Linnette, it's ok. You did it. Because of you, Yumichika's alive and the Hollow is gone. They're taking him back right now to be treated. Everyone's back to normal, too. Isn't it great?"

Still, she did not turn away from Cedric.

Ichigo came closer and put his own hand on her back beside Cedric's. Was she injured? He couldn't tell. "Linnette? Are you ok?" He kept his voice gentle, like talking to a frightened animal. "What's wrong?"

She turned her head to the side, showing Ichigo her fresh tears. "Victor's still dead, Ichigo."

Ichigo didn't know how to respond. He felt he should say something, but no comforting words came to him that would help. He stepped back, looking up at Cedric. He looked sad as well as he rubbed her back to console her. The picture looked incomplete with Victor not standing beside her and his inhuman counterpart.

Linnette dried her tears, but there was no ridding the sadness she felt. "I'm never going to see him again. All I have now is Cedric." She hugged him tightly. "Does this mean I'm going to lose him, too?" She started crying all over again at the thought. She had come close before, but now the threat was real. She held him tightly as if he were about to fall apart any moment and leave her.

Cedric hugged her close, unable to say anything to give her any words of comfort. All he could do was hold her close to let her know that he was there. He was all she had left.

Ichigo hung his head, feeling that this was all his fault. "I'm sorry, Linnette…" He truly meant it. "Here I thought… I thought that these guys…" He couldn't find the words. All this time, they had been shields. They were Linnette's shields and for this battle, they had been Ichigo's. Believing that they couldn't be injured led Ichigo to believe that he could hide behind them with no problem. They weren't going to die. But he was wrong. They were able to die. Every living thing, human or not, was meant to die one day. "I'm sorry I let this happen, Linnette."

On the edge of the building where they stood, Victor landed silently. He looked up and saw the trio huddled together in the center of the building. He could feel an aching feeling in his chest, knowing that Linnette was crying. It was painful for him. He slowly approached them, eyes focused only on the girl in Cedric's arms. He reached out with his hand.

Sensing something, Cedric looked up. His grip tightened in surprise.

A pale hand stroked Linnette's cheek, wiping away a fresh tear.

She knew this warmth.

"Don't cry, my princess. Tears don't suit you."

She knew this voice.

Linnette turned.

A tall thin man stood beside her with his usual loving smile. His white jacket had been discarded, allowing Linnette a full view of his vest and tie.

At first, she thought that she was seeing a ghost or that someone was playing a mean trick on her. But the smile he gave her told no lies. It was him. Just to be sure, she tested it. "Victor?"

He nodded. "I'm ok. I returned to you as promised."

Biting her lip to keep herself from crying again, she threw herself into his arms, knocking him to the ground. She sat in his lap, hugging him tightly as she wailed joyfully. He patted her back and let her cry as much as she needed to. Her grip tightened, as if making sure that he wouldn't leave her again. She wanted him to stay.

"I thought I lost you!" she sobbed into his chest. "Don't ever scare me like that again! I was so worried! It was all my fault! I thought I killed you!"

He hugged her back, resting his cheek on her head. "You could never do that. It's not your fault. You did nothing wrong. I'm perfectly fine, see? It's ok." He shushed her as she cried even more, still unsure whether or not he was leaving her again. "I'm here, I'm here. It's ok." He rocked his body back and forth as he held her in his arms, letting her cry and hold him tight. Feeling her tight grasp helped convince him, too, that this was real and that he really was ok.

Ichigo watched in amazement, unable to fathom how this was possible. He had been cut in half. He wasn't able to fight or move. Now he was healed completely and able to walk and speak normally. How could this be real?

Victor looked over Linnette's head towards him. "Ichigo," he spoke softly. He gestured to the group of departing Soul Reapers with his eyes. "I think you should check on your friends. Go with them."

"Are you sure?" He still felt like he had unfinished business here. "Shouldn't I st-"

He shook his head, still holding the crying Linnette in is lap. "Leave us here. You have to check on things there. Let us know what happens, ok?"

Ichigo understood. They needed their time alone. Nodding, Ichigo sprang up, following after the remaining Soul Reapers. Rangiku was carrying Hitsugaya on her back, still unconscious, dripping blood all over her long hair and pink scarf. Once they went through, it was Rukia's turn. She turned back, waiting for Ichigo. She waited until he was beside her then they went through together, the door closing behind them.

* * *

><p>Almost done ^^<p>

Please review!


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19:**

The sickbay's recovery room was warm and smelled of medical supplies. To brighten up the otherwise white room, flowers had been brought in and set on random tables around the beds. One of those beds belonged to Yumichika. He hadn't regained consciousness since he had gotten back from the World of the Living. Unohana had run numerous tests and discovered nothing out of the ordinary. The only thing she could find was his low levels of Spirit Energy, which would be recovered over time. Other than that, he was in perfect health. There were no traces of the Hollow in his system. It was unclear how much mental damage there was, which could only be determined after he had woken up.

Ichigo spent a lot of his time visiting other Soul Reapers who had been released and given a clean bill of health. Renji was one of them. Out of curiosity, Ichigo had to ask him what it was like being one of Yumichika's minions. He claimed that he was aware of everything that was happening, only his heart had been swayed. He was filled with so much respect and adoration for Yumichika that he couldn't possibly deny any request given to him, no matter how much he was against it. Even knowing what his mission was, he had to go against it, now believing Yumichika to be right, even knowing how wrong he was. His loyalty was that immense. Other than that, Renji had a difficult time trying to describe it.

After seeing the other Soul Reapers, Ichigo decided that it was time to check up on the one-time boss of the situation. He walked in as Rukia was finishing setting a fresh vase of colorful flowers on his bedside table. She took a seat next to the bed. Ichigo took the chair next to her.

"Any change?"

She shook her head. "No. Unohana said that it's hard to tell when he'll wake up. But he's not in a coma, she told me. He's just sleeping. Deeply."

Ichigo looked upon Yumichika in the hospital bed, finding it hard to believe that someone who looked so frail and helpless now was the cause of so much mayhem. Still, he hoped Yumichika the best. "Hope he wakes up soon."

"Yeah, same here."

The door opened and in came a shiny head. Ikkaku strolled into the room, tossing a stuffed animal on the bed without so much as a glance to its occupant. "Here. For him."

Rukia reached over and picked up the teddy bear with a flower strapped to its paw. "How thoughtful of you."

"Don't be ridiculous," he said leaning against the wall, folding his arms. "That's from the lieutenant. She asked me to deliver it for her since she was going to visit Ukitake back at his place."

"Oh, yeah. How is he?" Rukia remembered how sick he had been lately and the fight he had been in on top of it.

"Resting comfortably at home. Says he feels awful about causing you guys so much trouble and hopes you'll forgive him."

Ichigo asked the only question on his mind that hadn't been answered yet. "What's going to happen to him? Yumichika, I mean."

Ikkaku looked out the window, scoffing slightly. "Tsk. All charges are dropped. It was the work of a Hollow. He was only a hostage. Old man Yamamoto knew that and took it into consideration when making the call. He said as long as the Hollow's dead and Yumichika's back to normal, he's calling it a wash."

"That's wonderful news," Rukia smiled. "What a relief."

Still facing the other way, Ikkaku asked, "So, how's he doing?"

"Fine. It's slow recovery. Unohana said that after he wakes up, he has to stay here in the sickbay for 24 hours. Then he'll be released but only on the condition that he doesn't overdo it and rests at home. No missions for a while."

Ikkaku finally looked at the bed. He studied Yumichika's sleeping face. "I still can't believe this happened under our noses like that. I didn't notice a thing."

"How did that Hollow get to him anyway?" Rukia asked. "Was he fighting one?"

"Well, we had a mission, but…" He shrugged. "Ah, I can't really tell you. I was too busy kicking ass to know what he was doing. I wasn't paying attention." Ikkaku looked at Ichigo this time. "Who was that girl you were with anyway?"

"Huh? Oh. That's Linnette."

"Looks familiar…"

_She should; she was the one who turned Yumichika into a Hollow the first time we met,_ he thought.

"You should thank her when you get back."

Ichigo wasn't paying much attention, until he said that. "What?"

"I said you should thank her for the help. It was her that allowed you to bring that Hollow down in the first place, wasn't it? She helped us out a great deal. All the Soul Reapers I was talking to said so."

"We owe her one, Ichigo," Rukia added. "If it wasn't for her, this may never have ended. Not a single death in all of this, Ichigo. That's amazing."

He nodded, thinking just the same thing himself. She really pulled through for them. _I'm glad I trusted her_.

Yumichika shifted in bed with a moan. His eyes opened and everyone gathered around.

"Are you ok?"

"Yumichika?"

"Hey, you cool?"

He blinked a few times before things finally came into focus around him. "Where… Why am I in the sickbay? What happened?"

"Don't you remember?"

He turned his head, looking at Rukia. "Remember what?"

"The Hollow."

He gave it some thought. "Uh… Oh, yes. I do. We were sent on a mission outside the Seireitei. Some Hollows were causing trouble and we were sent out. The captain stayed behind, saying how they weren't worth the bother, all being small fry. I have to agree. They were quite weak. But even so, Ikkaku told me to stay behind while he took care of them. I didn't get a shot at any of them. I hate how he steals all the fun all the time and never lets me have at it." He shut his eyes for a moment before continuing. "So to busy myself, I was looking at the people nearby. All of them were dead. After that… after that something…" Yumichika scratched his neck, right where the Hollow had taken residence. "My neck was itchy. And after that… Nothing."

So that's how it happened. The Hollow snuck up on him from behind and entered his neck then his back was turned. The Hollow was so small, it slipped past everyone's notice.

"Nothing? At all?"

"Well, I thought I did, but no. It must have been a dream. I guess I got knocked out or something."

Ichigo raised a brow at him. "A dream?"

"Yeah. It was so unreal, it had to be." He started to chuckle. "I mean… It's funny. I had a dream that I was this… general of my own army of Soul Reapers and we were going to create a world for Hollows. I even dreamed that I was in the World of the Living and that I was fighting you. Isn't that crazy? It had to have been a dream. Nothing like that could ever happen."

They looked at each other. "Yeah. A dream. Right. Sure. That's it."

Ikkaku rolled his eyes with a grin. "Whatever you wanna believe, that's fine with me. I don't care."

Yumichika turned his head, discovering Ikkaku for the first time with happy surprise. "Aw, Ikkaku, you came to visit me. You were worried about me?"

"A little."

"He thinks it was all a dream?" Ichigo whispered to Rukia.

"Shh!" she hissed back. "Let him keep thinking that! We don't need anymore problems."

"But-"

"Shut it!" She stomped on his foot. "I'm so glad you're ok, Yumichika. We were worried about you."

He stretched and tried to sit up. "Whoa, I feel so weak… How long was I out? An hour or two, right?"

"Try almost a week."

"A week?" He spun around. "That long? How hard was I hit?"

"It doesn't matter."

Ichigo hopped to his feet, still nursing his big toe from Rukia's attack. "Well, glad you're ok. Now if you don't mind, I'll be heading back now."

"You're leaving already?"

"Yup. I've got some unfinished business to take care of," he told them. He had to get back to New York and check on Linnette and the others. At any rate, he had to get back for his belongings and his body, all of which he left behind at their house. "I'll be seeing you."

Rukia got up to follow him out and make sure he got back safely. In the meantime, Yumichika was still trying to make sense of it all.

"That dream seemed so real. I thought for sure it was really happening. But it couldn't be… nah, it couldn't. Can you imagine?"

Ikkaku stayed in the room with him after they left. Ichigo wanted to tell Yumichika the truth, but trusting Rukia's decision to keep it a secret, he let it go. It was probably for the best anyway. Yumichika didn't need to know. Let him keep thinking it was all a very real dream.

* * *

><p>As planned, Rukia dropped Ichigo off back in New York city. The Senkaimon opened up about a block away from Linnette's house, but Ichigo didn't mind the walk. He bid Rukia farewell and started his walk up the hill. It wasn't that steep.<p>

Night had already fallen in the city, but it was no less noisy than it was during daylight hours. It truly was the city that never slept. He had no idea what time it was, but he knew it was late. The stars were already out, though he could hardly make them out with the interfering lights of the city behind him or the lights from the houses he was passing by. He inhaled the brisk night air. It had a nice scent to it. He heard a dog barking behind one of the houses, but paid it no attention. He knew no one could see him in Soul Reaper form.

This walk gave him plenty of time to think. He wondered how Linnette was doing. The Soul Reapers claimed that they owed her for what she had done. They wouldn't have been able to win without her. Countless people would have been killed before anything happened. Ichigo admitted that. It was a miracle no one was killed in all of this. She was once an enemy, but now she's an alley. A very useful one at that.

He passed by Jean's house on the right side of the street. Linnette's house wasn't too far away now. She lived next door to her. It was just on the other side of those trees. Her house was completely hidden from view. Perfect for outdoor play with Victor and Cedric. Away from prying eyes.

He thought about them as well. Victor was dead, wasn't he? Did he just come back to life? Or was he never dead at all? But seeing how much pain Linnette felt at his supposed loss was a real eye-opener for him. As inhuman and invincible as they were, they were real. Real in a sense. They were like manikins. They looked human, they acted human, they felt human, but they were fake. Still he had to wonder. Though they did not bleed, though they did not eat or sleep, their bodies functioned as if they did. Ichigo remembered the time Victor lay his hand on his forehead. It was warm. Victor's body had heat to it. Like a real person, he had warmth. They had feelings, too. They weren't robots. They were artificial, but real.

"Damn, this is confusing…"

His legs stopped moving. He had reached the stone path up to their house at last. The lights were on. He started walking. When he reached the front door, it opened automatically. Cedric was standing there to greet him.

"… Hi."

Cedric nodded. "I knew you'd be back. I had to make sure you didn't ring the bell."

"Why not?"

Cedric led him inside and into the den where Linnette was sleeping, her small body on top of Victor's. Ichigo blinked. Her arms were wrapped around Victor's body, as if holding him together. Victor looked up and waved at Ichigo with his free hand. Then he motioned for Cedric to come. Together, they gently lifted Linnette off of him and into Cedric instead. Still, she slept, now holding onto Cedric's larger form. Victor silently walked around the front of the couch and over to Ichigo, walking him into the kitchen.

"Welcome back. We've kept your body safe. It's over there."

Ichigo looked and found his body laying on the smaller couch in the living room. "Thanks." He slipped it back on and rejoined Victor in the kitchen.

"May I get you something to eat?"

"No, thanks."

"Not a thing?"

"No."

"Not even tea?"

"Mm…"

"Or chocolate cake?"

"… Ok."

Victor smiled and started to get a plate and a tea pot. It was clear that he wanted to keep Ichigo around in order to have a word with him. Ichigo didn't mind listening as long as he had chocolate in front of him. Victor cut him a decent slice and placed it in front of him on the counter. Ichigo took the fork offered to him and ate it there, standing up. Victor started the tea.

"Are you leaving soon, Ichigo?"

He stabbed the cake with the end of his fork. "Have to. My family's going to be worried. So are my friends. Besides, now the danger's gone."

"Hm." He nodded, his back turned to him. He turned back around. "We can help you."

"Mm?" Ichigo's mouth was full.

"Cedric and I will get you a plane ticket for tomorrow. It's the least we could do."

Ichigo swallowed. "You don't have to."

"We-"

"You really don't. You don't owe me anything. If anything, I should be owing you."

Victor shook his head politely. "No. If only it were that simple, Ichigo. You see, after all the trouble we've… I cost you in the past…"

"But you helped me out here. Now. With Yumichika. And you allowed me to stay here with you."

"That's what you feel?"

He nodded. "Yes."

He chuckled. "Alright then. How about this. We'll give you the ticket to go home if… you do us a favor."

He was afraid to ask. "What is it?"

Smiling, Victor told him. "… Spend the morning with Linnette doing as she wishes."

"Huh?"

"You heard me. Take her into the city and have fun with her. She's waited all this time to be with you and all this times we've been fighting. Not an ideal play date. So tomorrow give her a day to have fun. She never gets to see you, after all. And she considers you a dear friend."

Ichigo didn't know what to say. "Well, we are friends, I guess."

"So give her a day. Come late afternoon, you'll be on that plane home. Ok? Then we'll be even."

It was a simple deal and it wasn't going to cost him that much. It was only for a few hours. Besides, Linnette did deserve it after all of this.

"Think of it this way," continued Victor. "This way, you'll be killing two birds with one stone."

"Huh?"

"Didn't your sister ask for you to pick up some souvenirs for them? You can do that tomorrow when you go out."

He had forgotten about that. "Ok. Deal."

"Good." Victor took out a tea cup and poured some tea for Ichigo. "It's ready. How's the cake?"

"Fine."

"Good."

It was another minute or two before Victor started speaking again.

"Say, Ichigo, I have a question for you."

"Yeah, what?"

He hesitated. "What's it like to sleep?"

Ichigo paused, fork hanging from his lips. "Huh?"

"You see, our bodies, Cedric's and I, don't know sleep. It's not required of us. We don't know what it's like. So I want to know what it feels like."

Ichigo put down his fork. "Um… I don't know how to explain it. Nice, I guess. I mean, everyone likes doing it. Sleeping feels good. I can't really describe it. I've never been asked that before."

"And dreaming. What is that like?"

Once again, he found it difficult to answer. "Nice."

"Why do you dream when you sleep?"

"Everyone's been trying to figure that out. No one knows for sure. It's pleasant, though. I like dreams. Of course, you can't really help it."

"You can't pick your dreams?"

"I don't think so. They're random. Sometimes you forget them. I hate it when I forget mine and I know it was a good one."

"Why do you suppose that is? Are you not meant to remember them because it's not your world so you can't take it with you?"

"How should I know?"

"And nightmares. Why do you suppose you have them?"

"I have no idea. Why are you asking?"

Victor paused. "Because… I don't think I died back there."

Ichigo blinked. "Huh?"

Victor looked at the counter, unsure. "I'm still trying to make sense of what happened." He scratched at the countertop with his index finger. "Just before I landed, everything went black, like I had shut my eyes. But there was no sound. It felt like an instant. When I opened my eyes again, time had passed. I was wondering if what I experienced was sleep. And if so, I fail to see what's so pleasant about it. Why would humans want to throw themselves into darkness like that?"

"Maybe you were just knocked out."

"Isn't that just another form of sleep?"

He couldn't answer that. "Maybe… What if you were just turned off for a second, like a toy?"

Victor shook his head. "I doubt it."

"What made you come back anyway?"

Victor smiled. "I heard Linnette's singing."

That must have been what brought him back. Maybe he wasn't dead, but he wasn't able to move, perhaps in a state that mimicked death. Victor always said that Linnette's voice was like the breath of life to them. That was the boost needed to create them. It was Linnette's desire, of course, that did it. But her song is what brought them into being the first time around. Perhaps it did more than control Hollows after all.

"I've wondered about it for some time now, Ichigo."

Ichigo was only half listening until he heard his name. "Hm?"

"That's the thing about not having to sleep. Those extra eight hours might as well be years. It adds up over time. Sometimes, you just don't know what to do with yourself. For a time, I thought that the reason for dreams was to escape reality. Get a break from life as you know it."

"Maybe."

"Dreams are nothing more than desires that become real during sleep. When you wake up, you leave them behind. But what about people like me and Cedric? Do we not need sleep because we don't need to dream because we have no desires beyond this world?"

"I'm not following."

"All we have is Linnette. She's all we know. We're here for and because of her. And she's in this world. We don't need anything further. What desires do we have other than the ones that revolve around her?"

"… I guess?" He still had no idea what he was saying.

"There are times, I admit, that I wonder what I am myself. I'm sure you've wondered as well."

"A little."

Victor nodded. "No one would blame you. I mean, look at us. We don't bleed. We have no blood. Even when I was cut in half, nothing spilled out of me. It was like cutting a porcelain doll in two. By all rights, we cannot call ourselves human, no matter our outer appearance." He came around to the other side of the counter. "And yet… listen." He took Ichigo's head in his hand and guided it to his chest.

Ichigo found himself pressed tightly to Victor's chest. But rather than protest like he was preparing to do, he fell silent, listening to something strange.

Victor's heartbeat.

He had a heartbeat. He was alive. This inhuman man had a heartbeat. His chest was warm. His fake body had warmth. He was real at the same time he wasn't. Ichigo couldn't tell the difference between him and another human being.

"See? Though I have no blood inside of me, my heart beats same as yours. Same as hers."

Victor released him and Ichigo stood up straight.

"I have feelings. When I hold Linnette in my arms, I can feel her soft skin, her warmth, her heart. And when she's sad, my heart aches. When she's happy, I smile uncontrollably. I have rage, fear, determination. I feel everything that a normal human does. I've spent many nights trying to figure out what I am. Over time, I've stopped trying. I know Cedric has. He's told me that we are what we are and putting a label on it's not going to change what we are. Knowing is nice, but aside from knowledge, what would we gain? Peace of mind? All I know is that we're here, we have the same feelings as anyone else. The only difference is our bodies. But our bodies allow us to always be there for Linnette when she needs us and take care of her. That's enough."

Ichigo nodded. Maybe it was impossible to know for sure what they were. Linnette probably didn't even know herself.

"Ichigo."

He looked up again.

"Do you know why Linnette created us, a couple of men and not a mother and father?"

He shook his head.

"She didn't want to," he answered. "It's not that she didn't know how. She didn't want that kind of family. After all, her own mother and father abandoned her, and she was turned down by every other mother and father looking for a child. Why would she want to create something that causes pain?"

Again, it made sense.

"We were inspired from stories. She always wanted a prince to come and save her." Victor gestured to himself, bowing his head like a young handsome prince. "But she also wanted a strong big brother type. One who wasn't afraid to get dirty and could protect her from all harm. A prince has a certain image, and she knew that I could never be like Cedric. So she created a larger man with muscles and strength and power, but could still be gentle, like a teddy bear. Together we are perfect for her. She cannot have one without the other. We complement each other, joined, two sides of the same coin."

Again Ichigo nodded, understanding how it was. Victor and Cedric were like brothers and best friends. Related while being completely different. With their strengths and weaknesses, they took care of Linnette, together. Fathers, uncles, big brothers, it was unclear just what they were to her. She never called either of them 'father'. Either way, they were a family. As strange as it was.

"We're balanced, Ichigo. And we're the one thing she wants to last forever with her. Though she will grow and age, we will forever remain the same." Victor looked at the floor. "And when the day comes that her life has reached its end … we, too, will fade away. I already know that much is for sure. When she dies, so do we. And I'm fine with that. I don't want to live in a world and have a life without her in it. I know nothing else and frankly, I don't want to try."

Ichigo wanted to answer him somehow, but couldn't. Even if he could find the words, it didn't matter. Cedric had entered the kitchen, carrying Linnette in his arms.

"I'm taking her up to bed."

"I'll come with you." Victor nodded to Ichigo and left up the stairs.

Ichigo went into the den were his belongings were stacked up neatly on the other side of the room in an armchair. The blanket given to him had been washed and folded neatly beside a fresh pillow. Looking at the time, 11:38, he knew it was time to retire for the night. He sat on the couch, but didn't lay down. He had a feeling that Victor was going to come back and talk to him, so he waited. Ten minutes passed and Victor didn't return. After another five minutes, Ichigo's head fell forward, asleep.

Victor never came back down. However, Cedric did. He found an empty teacup and a crumb covered plate on the counter. There was still plenty of tea left. He went into the den to ask Ichigo if he wanted more, only to find him asleep, sitting up on the couch. Cedric moved into the room and gently pushed Ichigo over, letting him lay down and covered him with the blanket.

Cedric bent down, looking at Ichigo's face. He was asleep, alright. Even the movement into a new position hadn't woken him. As he knelt in front of the couch, Cedric placed his hand on Ichigo's shoulder. "Thank you, Ichigo." He stood up and went into the kitchen to clean up.

He had thanked him. He was thanking him for everything. For helping Linnette when she needed it, protecting her when he couldn't make it in time during the battle, spending time with her playing games, being her friend. But most of all, for changing her. If Ichigo hadn't corrected her, Linnette would have never been inspired to change them for the better. Now they really were her guardians. They had been raising her wrong. Though Linnette hated change, having such bad experiences with it in the past, this one she liked. It was for the better.

"He actually did a better job with her than we did. And when I think about it, I'm glad I changed. I didn't like how I was before. And I'm not saying that because I was programmed to feel that way. I truly mean it."

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><p>Please review! The last chapter's up next! ^-^<p> 


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20:**

Victor spent the night in Linnette's room, for her sake as well as his own. While she needed him close to know that he was truly here with her, he, too, needed a reminder that he hadn't been taken from her. He watched her sleep through the night, occasionally coming over to pet her head or adjust the covers.

When dawn rolled around, Linnette had woken earlier than he had expected. She sprang up in bed, her eyes falling on him in an instant. He opened the curtains to let light in and stood beside the bed to greet her. "Good morn-"

"Let me see."

He blinked. "What?"

She pointed to his shirt. "Let me see. Pull up your shirt."

Knowing what she meant, he untucked his shirt and held it up for her to see his smooth flat stomach. She leaned closer to see every small detail. She was looking for any sign of the attack from Yumichika. There was no line, no scaring. There was nothing to indicate that he had been cut in half. It was as if it had never happened. Just to make sure, she ran her hand over his stomach. Perfect.

"And I can move fine on my own, too, Linnette. Don't worry. I'm alright."

Grateful, she hugged him, burrowing into his exposed stomach.

Victor let her stay in her pink nightdress while she had breakfast. Since Victor wasn't available, Cedric took the liberty of cooking that morning. Though his pancakes weren't as good as Victor's they were edible. And tasty.

Ichigo had woken up around the same time as Linnette that morning and was already waiting for her at the table with a smile. "Hey, how'd you sleep?"

"Ok." She was still holding Victor's hand. She still wasn't ready to let go.

Cedric set her food on the table and told her to sit down. Only then did she let go of Victor, even if she was hesitant about it.

While she ate, Ichigo decided to tell her the news. "Hey, Linnette… I have to get back home tonight, but until then, do you want to hang out and do something?"

She looked up, her fork suspended in the air. "Really?"

"Sure, why not? You can even help me pick out something to bring back home with me in the city. What do you say?"

Overjoyed, she flung her arms into the air with a big, "Yes!"

Later that morning, they went out into the city. This time, Victor stayed home and left Cedric to watch them. Cedric kept an eye on them, but left them alone for the most part. Linnette showed Ichigo around the city, tugging on his arm and pulling him into shops. There were plenty of street performers to watch and tons of food to eat. Linnette pulled Ichigo into a photo booth and forced him to take a picture with her. She tucked the pictures into her bag and pulled him down the street.

In a souvenir shop, Ichigo priced the goods packed on shelves, trying to find something his sisters would like. Karin already told him not to grab any old thing as a quick gift, but to put some thought into it. This made it even harder for him to decide. He was never any good at picking gifts. There were pencil sharpeners in the shape of the Statue of Liberty, lighters, cards, postcards, pictures, pens, books. Nothing popped out at him.

He looked over at Linnette would was puffing onto a wind chime by the door, making it jingle. He looked back at the shelf, disappointed. What to pick? None of these seemed any good. He looked up again when he heard Linnette trying to get Cedric's attention. "Look, look! A puppy! Isn't it cute?" She ran out of the store to ask the woman walking it if she could pet it.

Ichigo looked back at the shelf of mugs and picture frames. Something caught his eye. It was different from anything else in here. It was a flashlight on a chain, a dog's brown head at the top. Ichigo picked it up and pushed the button. Its eyes lit up brightly and it made a small barking sound. A flashlight keychain dog.

Suddenly, this gift made perfect sense. He grabbed a brown one and a pink one for his sisters and brought it to the counter. In no time, Linnette was at the counter, too, ready to make her own purchases.

After a late lunch and a walk around the park, they decided to head back. Carrying all their shopping bags, Cedric walked them back towards the car he had left far behind. When they arrived home, Victor welcomed them with freshly cooked snacks. Linnette jumped into his arms and he swung her around.

Ichigo went into the den to find his belongings already packed and ready for him to take home. He set his shopping bag beside his suitcase and turned back to Victor.

"I took the liberty of gathering all your stuff. I made sure nothing was left behind. You'll find your ticket in the front pocket of that bag there. Also, this…" Victor held up a small bag and handed it to Ichigo. "Snacks for the trip home. There's a piece of chocolate cake in there, too. Don't worry, it's in the proper container. There's a bottle of water there, too."

Ichigo set the bag on top of the suitcase. "I, uh… don't know what to say. Thanks. For everything."

"Think nothing of it. Cedric felt that we should thank you. But let's just called it squared, hm?"

Ichigo grinned. To think, before this man used to be his enemy. He hated him. Now he was actually thanking him and calling him a friend.

Cedric stuck his head into the den. "Ichigo, your flight leaves in two and a half hours. Make sure you're ready."

"Yeah. Thanks."

"We'll all be taking you there. Do you want anything else before you leave?"

He couldn't think of anything.

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><p>Soon, his flight had taken off and before he knew it, he was landing back home, leaving the city far behind. It was a boring flight. There was no one to talk to and he wasn't tired enough to sleep during the whole trip like before. He remembered saying good-bye to Linnette back at the New York airport. She held onto him tightly and gave him some parting gifts of her own. He promised her that he would be in touch and that this wasn't a final farewell. They would meet again. Hopefully under better circumstances.<p>

He took the bus back into Karakura Town and walked two blocks to his house. The light above the front door was on. He knew that Yuzu had left it on for him, even without knowing that he would be back that night. He inserted his key and pushed the door open. It felt so good to be home again. It felt great. All he wanted to do now was relax.

"Karin! Yuzu! I'm home!"

He heard their footsteps from the second floor come rushing down to greet him. Yuzu was the first one to reach him, hugging him tightly and wishing him a warm welcome home.

"So where are our gifts?" Karin asked.

Yuzu gave her a look. "How rude! He just got back! At last say hi!"

Ichigo pulled out the bags of goodies for them to investigate. He piled it all on the kitchen table. "There was a Swiss chocolate shop there so I picked up some candy for you guys."

Yuzu oohed and awed over the variety of sweets. "Look, look! There are some in the shape of little animals! And look! Flower shaped white chocolate!"

"I also got you this." Ichigo pulled out another bag. "It's a picture frame. We can get another family picture taken if you guys want. We haven't done it in a while. And there's this. A snow globe. There's the city inside."

Karin looked unimpressed. "Anything good? I thought I said not to just grab any old thing."

"I know you like the chocolate."

"Yes, but you know what I mean."

Ichigo pulled out the keychain flashlights. "I did get you these. I actually did put some thought into it."

Karin played with hers for a minute then looked back at her brother. "And?"

"And what?"

"It's a dog."

Ichigo smiled. "Dogs are loyal and will never leave your side no matter the danger. They're loving and will always do what they can to protect their masters."

"So?"

He was still smiling. "Never mind. I just thought it'd be nice. Find your way in the dark, clip it onto your bag so you won't lose it. You know…"

After telling his sister what New York was like, he went upstairs to his room to take care of his things. He opened the suitcase to find that Victor had done all his laundry and neatly folded his clothes for him. It was a nice gesture. Less work for them to do. He started to put his stuff away. When he turned back to take care of the rest, he found something at the bottom of his bag. He reached inside and took it out.

A notebook. It was a cute little notebook covered with flowers and hearts. Judging from the plastic wrap, it must have been brand new. It came with a pink pen, too. Such a girly thing could have only come from one person. Linnette must have left this for him to take home with him.

There was a note tapped to the bottom corner of the book sealed with a dolphin sticker. He opened the note and read it aloud. "'It wouldn't kill you to keep in touch more often, you know. She is very fond of you. Let this eliminate any further excuses from you. V.'" It didn't take him long to figure out that the note was from Victor.

He looked back into his suitcase. There was an envelope inside, sealed with a tiger sticker. He opened that as well. Inside was a small photo of himself and Linnette from the photo booth. Behind it was a slip of paper that had Linnette's phone number, e-mail and address. There was a small 'C' written in the bottom corner of the paper.

Ichigo set the notebook and other gifts on his desk. He admitted that he should keep in touch a little more than he did. He looked around his bedroom. There was no sign of a Hollow, no Souls were nearby. Kon was stuffed in his drawer and quiet.

The time on the digital clock blinked 9:20 in red numbers.

Sitting back in his chair, he figured that now was as good a time as any to let her know that he had gotten home safely and that his sisters liked the extra gifts she begged him to buy on their shopping spree.

He tore off the plastic and opened the notebook to the first page. Taking out a pen, Ichigo started to write. "Dear Linnette…"

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><p>The End! XD Yay! Hope you liked it!<p>

Please review and tell me how I did... but be nice ^-^

Thank you all for reading! See you next time!


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